Before The Dawn
by Love Well Spent
Summary: Sequel to my first book, "I Wished For Somebody To Love." Loads more drama, romance, and fun in store! Please read the first one before this. Will Murphy and Tristan, as well as the rest of the family, finally get a happy ending? Read and find out.
1. Preface: Pressure

**Hey guys! Sorry for the five day wait, for those who have been patiently waiting for this sequel to come out! As for those new readers out there, I'd suggest you read my first story, "I Wished For Somebody To Love" before you read this one. And if you're still interested, come back and read this sequel. It'd be great to have new readers! I'll start out this sequel with the prologue, in Murphy's point of view. Hope you enjoy it, and I hope you review to tell me if you did or didn't!**

**Also, while you read, I recommend you listen to the song, "Pressure" by Paramore. It's the perfect song for the preface! Through out the story, I will be suggesting songs for you to listen to while or before you read...you don't have to, but I thought it'd be fun. Tell me what you think about this one!**

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**Preface**

Pressure.

I had never felt so much pressure than at this moment, standing here, alone, in this huge castle that I was to call my own for the rest of forever.

This pressure, I was certain, would eventually kill me. Not immediately of course, but slowly. Painfully.

This pressure was, undoubtedly, eating me alive.

I stood solidly by the window, gazing out at the lush green hills that rolled on endlessly for miles. There was no tree in sight. Not even a lake, or waterfall. The only thing that surrounded me were these thick stone walls.

I was imprisoned. Not only physically, but _emotionally_.

I couldn't stop thinking about Tristan, and the way he had looked at me when I had left him alone with my family.

_My family._

I felt tears glisten in my eyes. They _all _had been my family....and yet I had turned away from them. Abandoned them.

_Betrayed _them.

But it was for the best. If I hadn't done what I did, Victor would have killed Tristan, and my whole entire family. I couldn't have allowed that to happen.

They had been confident. All three of them – Ben, Tristan, and Jared; they had been cocksure that they could have killed Victor. But, see, I hadn't wanted that to happen either.

No matter how much I hate Victor, I didn't want to see them kill their own brother because of me. It would have been cruel, heartless. How could I have allowed them that liberty?

And so I decided to break every single one of their hearts instead.

Was that better? Was that _truly _better than watching all three of them murder Victor?

Yes. I had done the right thing.

It was the consequences that I had yet to live with. The realization that, yes, I had lost everything - my fiance, my family, my _life._

I couldn't back down now, no matter how much I wanted to just turn around and flee; and to plead for my family's forgiveness. The deed was done.

My life?

Finished.

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**It's short, but then again, it's the preface. The first chapter will definitely be longer, and with a new song to listen to along with it! Reviews are deeply appreciated! **


	2. Chapter 1: Going Under

**Thanks everyone for the reviews! I'm sick, so this may not be my best. I wanted to give you the first chapter though, so here it is. Hope you enjoy!**

**Oh, and as for the song, listen to "Going Under" by Evanescence. Hope you like it!  
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Chapter One

**Victor's POV**

I had her. The little wench now belonged to me; that much was clear. I could feel the triumph washing over me like a violent storm, pulsing through my veins with the strength of a raging wildfire. A wicked grin was plastered across my face as I strolled down the hall towards her room. The paintings of my ancestors hung on each wall beside me, and as I let my cold, hungry gaze linger over them, I could feel their pride almost as strongly as my own.

Taking over the guards and the whole entire castle had been a breeze. I had simply lied, telling them that Tristan had forfeited his right to the crown, and that Murphy had chosen _me _to be her king. Not that I too, had wanted the position. I chuckled, knowing that the girl had been the key all along. She had a weak mind, and so it had been almost too easy to guide her into my arms and to convince her that _I _truly was the one.

My father had been a fool, choosing Tristan as the heir instead of me. What had he honestly thought, that _Tristan _was strong enough to be in charge of the whole entire kingdom? Laughing cynically, I pushed my way through two double doors and headed straight towards the door that was across from the corridor. As my thoughts trailed back to Murphy, I recalled the words I had once told her that very first day I had put my plan into action.

'You _will _learn to love me.'

_Yes, _I thought with a snide grin. All she needed was a couple of pushes in the right direction, and she would be mine. Fully, completely, and _desirably_.

The moment I swung open the doors to her chamber, I cast my cold, black gaze around the room and soon spotted her sitting on the bed, her eyes staring directly at the wall. Her hands were clasped tightly together on her lap, and her beautiful, glimmering emerald eyes were clouded over with pain.

My heart ached for her. I intended to make her happy, and to share my life with her in this castle. Soon, she would no longer feel the unhappiness that has been figuratively killing her since she had come with me to the castle.

I will give her everything her heart desires, more than Tristan could ever, and _would _ever, have offered her. Clenching my fists, I strode confidently towards her, wanting her more than words could ever say.

"Murphy..." I murmured, taking her chin in my stone iron grip and tilting her head up so that she had no other choice but to gaze into my eyes. "Why so sad, love?"

Her eyes narrowed at me, and a hiss passed through her lips. "Why do you _think?" _she snapped, jerking her head away in disgust. She glared at me, her eyes gleaming with burning hostility.

"Now...why so much hate? You did yourself a huge favor, deciding to come with me. Tristan should be the one hurting."

Murphy glanced up at me coldly and whispered, "Why?" Her voice shook with the pain.

"Why, love, what other reason besides the fact that he turned you?" I slid my slender hand down her strikingly pale, soft cheek, and smiled warmly. "If it had been I who had to have made the choice, I would have kept you human."

She didn't stray away from my hand this time. Instead, she continued to stare at me, confusion flickering across her clean, beloved face. "Why not?"

"For your blood, of course." I said it so matter-of-factly that I felt a shudder pass through her entire body. Grinning coldly, I picked up her wrist and grazed it gently across my mouth. "Mmm...I have a feeling it would have tasted rather delectable." Clicking my tongue, I let her wrist drop back onto her lap. "What a shame."

"You would have just killed me then!" Murphy glared fiercely at me, and I chuckled.

"No, no, that would have been a waste of..." I trailed off and stared at her suggestively.

Another shudder passed through her.

"Please," she whispered, pleading quite softly. "Please...don't."

Her voice was so pleasantly alluring that I felt extreme desire pulse through me, stronger than before; more boldly than before. "Don't do what?" I murmured sensuously, tilting her chin and lowering my head to whisper against her lips, "Don't do...this?" I pressed my cold, inviting lips against hers and grunted softly in satisfaction when she didn't move her head away this time. Taking this as encouragement, I parted her lips with my tongue and slid her back gently against the bed with my all too willing hands.

I felt her cringe, and a growl escaped me involuntarily. Grabbing a fistful of her hair in my hand, I jerked her towards my mouth and crashed my lips painfully against hers, immersing myself in the moan that filled her lips. I was almost over the edge, my instincts having kicked in, telling me to do it, do it now...

And then I made the mistake of looking into her wide, emerald eyes, filled with so much excruciating anguish...

And I couldn't do it.

How was I supposed to earn her love when I would just end up hurting her? Blinking, I released my hand that was tangled inside her long, ebony locks, and stood up, feeling ashamed for the first time in my life.

Murphy didn't move from her position; she was scared to even glance up and into my fierce, smoldering eyes, afraid that I'd be hit by desire and violate her unkindly once more.

But I didn't, which stunned me all the more. Furious with myself, I glared at the girl menacingly, my fists firmly clenched by my side. "Dinner will be at seven." I remarked coldly. "You will meet me there. I'll have a maid escort you."

I turned sharply and strolled out of the room, slamming the double doors loudly behind me. I refused to admit that the girl had some kind of power over me, a power I could neither control nor predict.

And it was exactly that kind of power that would, eventually, kill me.

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"Kingston?" I growled, beckoning to one of the servants with an impatient hand.

"Yes, master?" A tall, lanky boy with short, disheveled blonde hair and a face as cute as a button but as pale as a sheet, came striding forward, his deep blue eyes flickering back and forth warily; too scared to meet his master's perilous gaze.

"Where is she?" I snapped, growing more edgy by the minute. She was supposed to have been here ten minutes ago.

"She's here now, Your Highness."

I looked up in surprise, and then realized almost at once that, indeed, she was here. Just her presence made my stone hard interior melt with pleasure and unbelievable softness.

She was extravagantly beautiful. She was wearing a breath-taking silver dress that flowed all the way to her ankles and in no way flawed her impeccable beauty. Her long, midnight hued hair was curled so that it framed her dainty cheekbones, and the eyes that sparkled with emeralds were as entrancing as the very dress she wore. My appraising eyes swept over her in admiration, and a smile passed over my lips. All irritation vanished the moment she hesitantly stepped towards me.

"Lovely," I murmured, stretching out my hand and grazing my fingers down her soft, angelic skin. I heard her breath catch the moment I did, and I beamed at her a soft, brilliant smile.

"Come, sit." I remarked eagerly, gesturing to the chair that sat at the very edge of the table, and the one that also closest to mine. She glanced at me warily before slowly sliding herself into the chair, her back held straight and rigid as she began to stare at the plate that was placed before her on the smooth, silk table cloth.

"Relax," I murmured, taking her hand in mind and letting my thumb brush back and forth against her palm. She glanced up at me, her eyes cold and unmistakably guarded. My grip on her hand inflexibly tightened. She continued to glare at me; her gaze cutting through me with the sharpness of a knife.

Deciding to ignore this, I reclined against the back of my chair and nodded to one of the servants. The girl stumbled forward, holding a pitcher of blood. Her hand shook as she poured it into both of our glasses. I nodded once more, and she quickly departed back into the kitchen.

Another servant came forward, and placed bowls on both of our plates. I watched Murphy's face intently to see her expression. Her face went from pale to sickly white as she stared down at the bowl before her.

"Never seen a goat's head, Murphy love?" My mouth widened in a smirk as I stared at her speechless face. "It's one of my specialties. Try it, I have a feeling you'll like it."

Finally, Murphy lifted her head to stare back at me, her eyes hardened with undeniable hatred. "You're sick." She whispered. "You're sick and I _hate you!"_

Dread plummeted through me like nothing before and ignited the anger that had been boiling calmly inside of me. Blankly, I stared at her, before a low, feral snarl ripped through me and caused me to stand up abruptly, taking the bowl in my hand and throwing it hard over her head. It crashed mercilessly against the wall and increased my wrath even more than before.

What _was _it about her that caused this anger to grow so deeply inside of me? I didn't know, but I was adamant in finding out.

"Come here," I growled harshly. When she didn't move I snarled and strode towards her. She flinched as I grabbed her arm and spun her towards me.

"_Bitch, _I did _nothing _to deserve this treatment," I replied hotly, very tempted to slap her right where she stood. "_You _were the one who decided to come with me, remember? That was all you. My _brothers-" _I said the word 'brothers' despicably, "-could have killed me easily, for I was outnumbered. Yet _you _couldn't bear to see my killed, could you?"

I smiled coldly when I saw the hurt flash across her face, giving me the satisfaction I craved. "I knew it. You _do _love me, in a way, don't you?" Before she could protest, I jerked her chin up non-too-gently and met my lips with hers. She crumpled against me, and I chuckled deeply with delirious satisfaction. "Admit it, bitch. You love me. Say it," I snarled, my cold and unforgiving eyes scolding her and relishing the pain that I saw so clearly on her face. My grasp on her tightened, and she looked up at me chillingly, her lips pursed and quivering with deafening rage.

"I love you," she whispered soundlessly, and she growled when my thumb pressed harder against her skin. "I _love you,_" she cried out more articulately, and my heartless smile caused her to shudder.

"Good." I growled. I pinned her against the blood splattered wall and kissed her passionately, waiting for the moan that would soon pass through her lips. When it did, I pressed myself against her harder, hungry for more. My hand tangled in her thick, curly locks, and my one free hand began to roam deliciously down her lush, lusty curves.

"_You are mine," _I groaned breathlessly next to her ear. She shivered against me, arousing me all the more. I was tempted, once more, to just take her now – forget her feelings, her emotions - her soul, and consider her an object designed subtly for pleasure. But I knew that if I did, that monster inside of me would take control. And I could not, would not, allow that to happen.

Furious and in pain, I reluctantly withdrew myself from the temptation and flashed her a venomous glare that I could tell shook her from where she stood. "If you will not eat, then you starve," I stared at her for a full sixty seconds before letting out a sigh and stepping forward once more, allowing my hand to brush away the luscious locks that fell across her forward. She cringed away from me, and my gaze hardened.

"My beloved, " I whispered, leaning forward and kissing her cheek. I felt her warm breath graze the side of my face, and I forced myself to not ravish her where she stood. "There is no reason to fear me. I will not harm you."

I pulled away and patted her cheek. "If you need me, I will be in my office." I nodded towards Kingston and added, "King will show you where it is if you cannot find it. In the meanwhile..." I smiled wickedly and glanced towards the table, "Try to eat. There's no use starving yourself, is there? I do not intend to lose you."

And with that, I headed towards my office, eager to lose myself in my books and to get her out of my mind. I was undoubtedly losing my mind by just simply looking at her, and I was certain that was not healthy. I had to find some way to solve this problem – and if not soon, then certainly eventually.

I would not allow this insanity to continue. It was dangerous, _extremely _so. The girl had a hold on me that I could not dispatch, no matter how hard I wanted to. She was like a drug, an addicting, obsessive drug that despite how much I wanted to quit, I was unable to. And that was dangerous.

My hands clenched into fists as I strolled down the corridor towards my office. The moment I stepped inside my quiet solitude, I settled myself in the chair that was positioned behind my desk, and flipped open a book that I had started reading just a couple days ago. My eyes scanned down the lines of words, and I eagerly began to read.

Fifteen minutes later, I growled and flung the book against the wall. It fell onto the floor with a resounding crash that filled my mind and echoed through the walls.

"Murphy," I snarled dangerously, my chest heaving up and down, and my eyes squinted shut. I groaned and drew a hand through my long, sleek black hair. I repeated her name again and again inside my mind, until a restless sigh passed through my parted lips.

And then I fell asleep to the vision of her reaching out to me, the way she had done countless of times for my brother, Tristan. Except it wasn't him this time that made her emerald eyes glow with love and her exuberant smile gleam with happiness...it was me, and just the thought drifted me off to a calm, peaceful slumber.

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**So...now you can sort of understand what Victor is going through...not that you should feel any sympathy for him, after all he _did _steal Murphy away from Tristan...but then again, I sort of do for sorry for him...ahh! Stupid, stupid me. -runs away with shame- Anyways, review!!**


	3. Chapter 2: Damsel In Distress

**Wow.**

**What the heck happened?**

**Sixteen reviews last chapter and seven the next?**

**I'm sad. Very, very sad.**

**Make me happy again people! **

**Or I'll just stop updating all together...**

**And write it all for myself. =]**

**Lol kidding. I'd never do that.  
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**Here's chapter two! **

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Chapter Two

**Murphy's POV**

I sat on my bed, silently fuming. Victor was mentally giving me a migraine. His frequent mood swings and fierce temperament was enough to drive anybody mad, especially someone as vulnerable as I am, with Tristan completely gone from my life. I have no idea how to deal with him, or what to say to make him happy. This was just too damn much.

I glared at the pillow that was placed delicately against the bedpost and started beating the hell out of it. "_I...can't...stand...him...!" _I screamed in frustration, finally taking it in my hands and throwing it against the wall. It fell to the ground, where it lay dejectedly. I sighed and threw myself down against the bed.

I closed my eyes and tried to regulate my breathing. Not that I needed too, of course. It was just habit, something I felt like I needed to do anyway. Just like I had loved Tristan with all my heart. Loving him had been so simple and as natural as breathing...

_Don't think about him, _I chided myself. It would only bring more pain.

I wished for sleep. Closing my eyes, I turned around and cuddled deeper into the covers. As I began to drift off, I started to hear a soft clicking noise.

_Click. Click._

Groaning, I fumbled for a pillow. Finding one, I pressed it over my head.

_Click. Click._

I clutched the pillow tighter.

_Click. Click. _

"Ugh!" Throwing the pillow across the room, I glared around the room in search for the infuriating noise.

_Click. Click._

I stood up and headed towards the window. _Damn bird, _I thought to myself, throwing up the window. I was about ready to kick some birdie ass.

I gasped when I saw who it was grinning at me from outside my window.

"_Ben?" _

What the _hell _was he doing here?!

"What the hell are you doing here?" I glanced behind my back, extremely paranoid now. What if Victor found out he was here? He'd go mad...not that he was already.

"Ssshh, I'm saving you princess."

"Saving me? I don't need to be saved! I _chose _to be here, remember?"

"Are you telling me you love Victor?" Ben's astonished voice made me grimace and look behind me again.

"Be quiet, he could hear you..."

"You didn't answer my question, princess."

"No. And stop calling me princess," I hissed.

"No, you won't answer the question, or no, you don't love him?" Ben raised an eyebrow at me, and I sighed.

"No, I don't love him...but what else could I do? I couldn't have let you guys kill your own brother!" I winced as I told Ben the truth.

"So _that's _why you did it," Ben mused, scratching the side of his head with his finger. "I was curious...and slightly pissed."

I rolled my eyes. "I imagine all of you were. Or still are..." I bit down on my lip as I thought of Tristan. "How is..." I trailed off, hesitant.

"Tristan?" Ben finished, and shrugged. "Pissed. Angry. Mad as hell. Freaking ticked-"

"Okay, I get it," I snapped, resisting the urge to bonk him upside the head. But damn, how I had missed him...

"I've missed you guys," I whispered, and was shocked when Ben reached out and pulled me in a hug.

"We've missed you too baby. I've missed you more, though. But don't tell Tristan," he winked at me and I laughed, shoving him off of me.

"You are freaking impossible." I shook my head, still laughing.

There came a knock.

"Shit!" I whispered, whipping around, my emerald eyes widening with fear.

I turned back around and was shocked to find that Ben was gone.

"Psst, over here."

I looked around and noticed that Ben had climbed inside my wardrobe. "Ben!" I gritted my teeth. This was not a good idea...

"Murphy? Can I come in?"

I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard Kingston's voice from outside my door. Good, I would let him in, see what he wanted, and then show him out as quick as inhumanly possible. No one would know Ben was here.

"Come in," I called, twisting my hands around nervously. _Stop fidgeting, _I told myself, and immediately clamped my hands together behind my back.

The door creaked open and in came Kingston, glancing around warily. I smiled at him kindly, hoping that he hadn't already suspected something.

"Hey Kingston. What can I do for you?"

"I, uh...was wondering...if you needed me...to help you?"

I blinked, confused. "With what?"

"With...Victor." He stared down at his feet and shuffled them awkwardly.

"Oh." I stared at him, totally stunned. He wanted to help me with Victor? I couldn't believe it. I had never thought of him to be that kind of person.

"I appreciate you're...thoughtfulness," I said with a small smile, "But I don't want you to get in trouble with him. Victor is very powerful, and he won't hesitate to kill you if ever he found out."

"I know," Kingston shyly glanced up at me, a timid smile splayed out on his adorable face, "But I want to help."

"Why?" I questioned, extremely curious.

"I don't...like the way he treats you. You deserve...better." He looked quickly into my startled eyes, and then glanced back down at his feet.

Pleasantly surprised, I smiled warmly in his direction and stepped forward, touching his hand. He flinched, and I blinked sympathetically, knowing that he had been hurt by Victor way more than I ever have. I could see the proof of it on his skin; there were dark bruises there and scars that would never completely heal.

My heart ached for him.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, tempted to reach out and give him a hug. "But I can't let you help me. But...I _can _help _you."_

He looked up at me, surprised. "What do you...mean?"

"Freedom," I murmured. "I'm going to give you your freedom."

"But I...can't."

"You deserve your freedom even more than I do!" I squeezed his hand gently, "You've been around this castle for too long. It's time for you to go back to your family."

"H-How?" Hope was beginning to gleam in his soft aqua blue eyes, and my smile grew.

"I'm taking you with me," I decided, and glanced towards my wardrobe. "Ben, you can come out."

Kingston quivered with fear when the door to my wardrobe swung open and Ben climbed out. All six feet four inches of him.

Yeah, Kingston had a reason to be afraid.

"It's okay," I reassured him, giggling when he hid behind me. "Ben's fine. He's soft as a teddy bear, honest."

Ben snorted. "Teddy bear my ass," he muttered.

"Ben, this is Kingston. Kingston, meet Ben."

"Yo." Ben grinned, revealing all of his sharp, gleaming white teeth.

Kingston shuddered again behind me.

"Ben, stop scaring him." I rolled my eyes, "You are so not intimidating."

"Tell that to him," Ben snickered, nodding his head towards Kingston.

I sighed and turned around to face the quivering human. "Kingston, he's not going to hurt you, I promise. Can you trust me?"

Kingston glanced towards me, gazing softly into my eyes, before nodding slowly, "I t-trust you," he murmured.

"Good. Now," I glanced back towards Ben, "What's the plan?"

"What plan?" He frowned at me, looking utterly lost.

I raised an eyebrow.

He laughed, "Kidding. Right, plan. The only one I had in mind was to get you the hell out of here. But now that we have a little tag-a-long..."

"Kingston," I corrected, glaring at him.

"Kingston. Whatever. Now that we have the human-"

"_Kingston."_

"_Kingston," _Ben raised his voice an octave higher than mine, and I growled softly in annoyance. "Now that we have _Kingston, _I'm not sure it'll be as easy as I thought. Are you sure you want to bring him?"

"Yes, I am sure." I was started to get pissed.

"Okay, jeez, take a chill pill. I was only asking," Ben walked towards the door and poked his head out the window. "It's getting dark out...perfect. How many guards are out during this time?"

"I'm not sure...usually there are more around the front of the castle, so if we sneak around to the side..."

"Gotcha," Ben glanced towards Kingston, "Can you run fast hum-_Kingston_?"

"Y-Yes," Kingston stuttered, not meeting the scary vampire's eyes.

Ben chuckled, "Good, because you're going to need those legs. We vampires can run fast, so you better be able to catch up."

"I'll be with him," I murmured, taking Kingston's hand. "I won't let him fall behind."

"Thank you," Kingston whispered.

"All right, let's go. Murphy, you go down first. I'll carry Kingston" Ben gestured towards the window, and waited expectantly.

I bent down and maneuvered my body out of the window. Remembering that I was a vampire and that I couldn't possibly die if I fell, I began my descent, amazed at my natural litheness as I climbed easily down the wall.

Once I had made it all the way down, I dropped myself gracefully into the grass and glanced up. To my surprise, Ben had Kingston hanging onto his back, and yet he was more than halfway down.

"Be careful!" I called up to him, rolling my eyes when Ben responded with a superior snort. Male vampires and their incredibly huge egos.

"_Be careful," _Ben mocked once they had made it down. Kingston quickly slid off his back and cowered by my side, "Murphy that was so easy."

"Yeah, okay. Glad you think so. Now can we move on?" I said impatiently. I really wanted to get to Tristan so that I could explain. And more than anything, I wanted to be by his side again, holding him, hugging him, kissing him...

"Murphy? Earth to Murphy!"

I snapped back to reality at Ben's persistence voice.

"Sorry. Are we going?"

"No, we're staying so that you can have Victor's babies."

"_What?!" _I shrieked.

Ben boomed with laughter, and even Kingston looked at me with a small, amused smile.

"Oh god you are going to get it," I punched his shoulder and he leaned over, arms wrapped around his stomach as he continued to crack up.

I startled to giggle. "Damnit Ben, you're such a dork."

"I know, I know, you love me," Finally, Ben stopped laughing to look at me, a funny look captured on his face. "Hey, Murphy...just wanted to say, before you see Tristan again and all...I'm glad you still love Tristan. For a moment there I really thought you were a heartless bitch."

"I've always loved Tristan," I murmured softly, "It'd be impossible to stop."

Ben grinned. "Good, tell him that when we get there. Right now, we need to run. And _fast."_

"Agreed," Smiling, and feeling all giddy inside at the thought of seeing Tristan again, I glanced over at Kingston and said, "Are you ready? This time I'll let you ride on _my _back."

Kingston gulped, but nodded. "I'm r-ready."

I hunched over, and he slowly climbed up on my back. _Wow, he's as light as a feather, _I thought with a grin. _Or maybe I'm just strong as hell._

"Let's go!" And with that, Ben flew forward, leaving a rush of air to trail swiftly behind him.

I followed soon after, without leaving even a glance behind.

It was only then that I realized that part of me had already long gone.

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**Review now damnit! **...**hehe, please? *bats eyelashes*  
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	4. Chapter 3: I Still Miss You

**The chapter that everyone has probably been waiting for has come at last...yes; Murphy is finally coming back to Tristan! Oh, and to make sure everyone knows how long it has been, she stayed with Victor for about a month. Because there aren't that many Victor fans out there, I didn't want to drag it on and bore everyone to tears. I'm sure you guys would much rather read about Murphy and Tristan than Murphy and Victor...am I right? Of course I am! But, I must warn you, there might still be some Victor in the future...bwahaha.**

**The song lyrics for this chapter is "I Still Miss You" by Keith Anderson.  
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**Now go read!!**

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Chapter Three

**Murphy POV**

"Where are we?"

I really had no idea where we were. It was completely pitch black, and not even the moon promised light onto the barren landscape that surrounded us. I was starting to get worried. What if we got lost? We could be walking around here for days, just going in circles. Just the thought had me paranoid, and so I glanced over at Ben anxiously, waiting for his response. Kingston trailed slowly behind us, gazing up at the twinkling stars.

"Well ever since Victor banned us from the castle, we had to make our home elsewhere. We considered jungles, savannahs, swamps..."

Guilt flooded through me, causing a sigh to escape my lips. I had never once thought about what could have happened to them when I had made my decision to go with Victor. All I had thought about was my own welfare and my own problems with Victor that I hadn't even bothered thinking about what _they_ could have possibly been going through. Was I really that selfish?

_Yes. _And God, how I hated myself for it...

"I'm sorry, Ben..."

"Don't be," Ben remarked with a small shrug, "It's Victor who should be damn well apologizing. He's the one that caused all the damage."

I stopped and stuck my hands in the back pocket of my jeans. I lowered my head and whispered, "That's not true...I have caused more pain than Victor has all together. If I hadn't even saved Tristan, the night that we met..."

"Then you two wouldn't have fallen in love," Ben cut in, having stopped as well. He was staring at me intently, his mouth set in a firm line. "You would never have gotten engaged to Tristan, and you would have never met me. And I don't know about you, but ever since you came into our lives, Tristan has been the happiest we have ever seen him..."

I raised an eyebrow.

He stopped, hesitated, and then continued, "Okay, so maybe he's not happy now, but before all this Victor business he _was. _He never stopped telling me how amazing you are, and how perfectly both of your lives seemed to fall into place. He would give his _soul _for you Murphy. He still would. Trust me on this. _None _of this is your fault. You just got caught in the middle of it all and made some really shitty decisions. Anybody could have made the same mistake."

Kingston murmured his agreement behind me.

I stared at Ben, baffled, as his words sunk in.

"He...said that?" I managed finally, my eyes glistening with blood-stained tears. I felt like a piece of my heart had finally been set back into place; however the answers that I had been seeking had yet to be answered. I prayed that they would be, in time.

"Of course he said that," Ben eyed me curiously, "Why do you look so surprised?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter any more," I muttered, kicking at the dirt. "He hates me now."

"Yeah, he's pissed. But do you seriously think that just because he is, he'd stop loving you?"

"His fiancé left him for his brother!" I cried out, exasperated. "He has a reason to hate me."

"That might be true. But he had no reason to stop loving you, did he? Reasons to completely dislike, probably...but to stop loving? Hell no."

I shook my head and growled underneath my breath.

"Okay, look at it this way...if Tristan ran off and wanted to be with your...er...'sister', would you quit loving him?"

"No, of course not," I answered automatically. Instinctively.

"Then, see? There is no way Tristan could have possibly stopped loving you. So stop worrying about it and let's try to not get lost..." Ben looked up and squinted through the darkness.

"Um, I think we already are," I murmured with a weak smile.

"Damn, Murphy, stop being so negative." Ben murmured, flashing me an annoyed, sideways glance.

"How should I feel then? Pleased? Glad that you guys decided to stay here out of all the other, _safer _places, around this goddamn landscape? Cheerful, when there are freaking bugs crawling all over me?" I ranted sarcastically. "Yes, I should definitely choose to not be negative about all of that. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I should be skipping gaily, maybe even dancing to the sound of the damn crickets singing. _That, _is what I should _really _be doing, right Kingston?"

"Uh..."

Ben rolled his eyes, "Real funny, Murphy."

"Thought you'd think so," I muttered.

"Stop being irritable and just look at what's in front of you." I could hear a smile in Ben's voice, making me glance up and wonder what he was so damn happy about. Didn't he even _care _that we were lost?

My eyes widened the moment I realized where we were. This couldn't be possible. I had thought we were miles away from here, in some barren landscape. Not here, not at the place where for so long I had longed to be, safe and away from harm. My spirit soared, and a smile slowly lit up my whole entire face.

Home.

"Ben. You _freak._" I heard a laugh come from him as I stared across the street at my house. "Why the hell did you make me think we were _lost?"_

Shrugging, Ben grinned. "I don't know...for fun? Plus, it was totally worth it to see the look on your face."

"You are freaking incorrigible." I muttered, but soon I forgot all thoughts about the surprise. I immediately began thinking about Tristan, knowing that he was there, right now, sitting inside of _my _house, waiting for me...

And so I ran.

I didn't even feel the wind blow past my face, I was running so fast. I couldn't see, or think about anything else but Tristan's face, smiling as he welcomed me home...into his arms.

Throwing open the front door, I ran inside and began calling his name.

"Tristan!"

I entered the living room, searching.

"Tristan!"

No one. I entered the kitchen.

"Tristan?"

Not there. I turned around and headed up the stairs, flying right past Ben.

"Tristan?"

I searched every room, my hope slowly dwindling. Where was he? He would've heard me by now. He couldn't possibly be hiding, could he? He wasn't that cruel...

Now, in the last room, I stared out the window, my sparkling emerald eyes clouding over with confusion. "Tristan?" I whispered, the last speck of hope disappearing only to be replaced with a sickening despair and a cold emptiness.

Silent foot steps approached the door, but I didn't turn around. Knowing already who it was, I murmured in a barely audible tone, "Where is he? Where's Tristan?"

"Murphy, I'm sorry...but it was apart of our plan."

I whirled around, furious. "What plan? I break Tristan's heart so now he decides to break mine? Well let me tell you something _Benjamin, _my heart has already been long broken even before I left with Victor. My heart _died _that day I chose to go with Victor. I have never regretted anything more than what I did that night. But _this! _This is so much worse. How could you do this to me?"

"Murphy, you're jumping to conclusions. Just calm down," Ben murmured seriously, walking up to me and putting his hands on both of my shoulders, "You have to understand our plan, first, before you start hating on us."

"Explain," I replied tersely, crossing my arms and glaring up at him fiercely. "And it better be good."

"All right, all right. So that night, when you left with Victor, Tristan was almost about ready to kill himself. I managed to calm him down by telling him of this plan."

I nodded. "Go on."

"First I talked some since into him by saying that you still loved him. After all, you two are engaged, right? And then I mentioned how you hated Victor for hitting on you and everything. He calmed down a little after that, and so I told him that in a couple of weeks, I would go to the castle and talk with you. If you mentioned that you still loved Tristan, I told him that I would help you escape and bring you back here."

"So where is he now?" I demanded anxiously.

"Hold on, I'm getting there. Now, see, Tristan is a very powerful vampire. He's next in line to become King, and with Victor competing with him for the crown, he knew that he would have to do something about it. So while I took you home, I told him that he could head back to the castle and fight Victor to win the crown once and for all. How he plans on doing that, I'm not sure. But I'm pretty sure he'll win. Victor may be strong, but Tristan is clever. He knows how to out-wit Victor, and still win fairly. So there is no need to worry, he'll be King in no time."

Speechless, I stared at Ben as I processed all of this information. Could he be serious? Was Tristan actually going to _fight _his brother for the crown? My eyes widened with shock.

"Murphy? Are you okay?"

"I'm...I'm fine. How long will he be gone?"

"I'm not sure. He didn't say."

I groaned. "Where is my family?" I muttered to myself, walking out of the room and into the hall. "And what about Jared? Where is he?"

"You didn't honestly think Jared would let Tristan go alone, did you? It may be Tristan's battle, but Victor's known to cheat." Ben walked up beside me and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "As for your family, they knew we were going to arrive tonight. They'll probably be here any minute."

I heard the tires of a car crunch against the gravel of the driveway, and then the sound of car doors slamming, followed by running foot steps...

"Or...now," Ben added, smirking in amusement.

Grinning, I was down the steps at the same moment the front door flung open, revealing the smiling, loving faces of my family.

"_MURPHY!"_

"Mom! Dad! _Dylan!" _

I screamed happily as my family rushed forward, embracing me in fierce hugs and sloppy kisses. I hugged them back, but not as fiercely because of my own personal fear of squeezing them to death. My mother cried silent tears of joy, but I was again careful not to mimic that action; I didn't want to freak anyone out by having them see blood flowing down my cheeks. That would not be a very pleasing gesture, I thoughtfully mused.

When we were all finally calmed down, I glanced over at Ben who was standing awkwardly against the wall, and beamed a small smile to my family. "Guys, you remember Ben, right?" I pointed to the tall, lanky vampire behind me and said, "He's one of Tristan's brothers. Don't worry," I laughed when I saw their fear-stricken faces, "He's not evil like Victor."

"Yo, Ben," Dylan stepped up and punched fists with him; wincing when Ben's stone hard knuckles brushed up against his.

Ben smirked. "Sorry, dude."

"It's cool," Dylan turned away from him, a pained expression still present on his face.

I giggled. "So what have you guys been up to? I've missed you so much..."

"Oh, nothing much. We've mostly been worrying about you and wondering when you'd be back. That fiancé of yours, Tristan...he really loves you. We've learned a lot about each other when you were gone," my father remarked, eyeing me with a tender smile. "He may be a vampire, but darling, they are no different than a man when they're in love."

I blushed, and reached out to take my father's hand. "You really like him, then?" I murmured, unable to hide the fact that I was pleased.

"Yes. He is a decent man. Er...vampire."

"Oh, so you approve?" I gushed.

"Yes, yes, I approve."

"Oh, daddy, _thank _you!" I threw my arms around him, forgetting for just a second my strength until I heard a faint gasp escape his throat.

"Oops, sorry daddy." I let go, giggling softly when he roughly exhaled.

"I never thought I'd see the day when my little girl was stronger than me," he mumbled beneath his breath.

Suddenly, I heard the door bell ring. Automatically assuming it was Tristan, I gasped and turned around to fling open the door, only to become face to face with...

My very best friend.

We stared at each other for a long moment, letting each other's presence sink in. She looked exactly the same. Tall, slender, and blonde, with the most gorgeous blue eyes you could ever look into to. She was wearing snug old blue jeans that clung to her hips, and a strapless blue t-shirt that made her eyes stand out, if they didn't so much already. Her short, glossy blonde hair was down in curls, framing her heart-shaped face, and her lips were formed in a perfect 'o' formation as she continued to stare at me, disbelief clearly written across her face.

It didn't take long before we started to scream.

"_ELLA!"_

"_MURPHY!"_

"_I'VE MISSED YOU!"_

"_YOU BITCH!"_

"_OH MY GOD!"_

"_SHUT UP!"_

"_HUG ME SLUT!"_

And so I did. I hugged her as light and as softly as I could, but with the strength of the happiness that soared so profusely within me. I couldn't believe how miserable I could be one moment, and then so deliriously happy the next. And I couldn't quite believe that my best friend was standing right in front of me, when I hadn't seen her in ages...and when I thought I never again would.

"I should totally slap you, you know," Ella said when we finally pulled away from each other. "You left me! You didn't even tell me where you were going...I was so worried about you! I thought you were kidnapped, or abducted by aliens or something. Why would you do that to me Murphy?! I thought you loved me."

"I _do _love you," I said, sighing. "But I didn't have the opportunity to tell you good-bye...it's a long story."

"Well you _have _to tell me. I demand it. And if you lie to me Murphy, I swear I'll..."

"I won't lie to you." I hadn't lied to my parents, so there was no way I was going to lie to my best friend. "But before I tell you anything, I want you to meet someone..."

Taking her hand, I led her inside the house, smiling as she continued to chatter away.

"You've missed out on so much when you were gone...oh and by the way your teachers are freaking pissed...and did you get contacts? You're eyes are like-"

The moment her gorgeous blue eyes landed on Ben, she lost her capability to speak. Her eyes widened, becoming round as saucers, and her mouth parted but no words came out. She stared at him, speechless.

Ben stared back, entranced.

"Ella, I'd like you to meet my future brother-in-law, Ben. Ben, this is my very best friend, Ella."

She didn't seem to notice when I said _future brother-in-law. _In fact, she didn't seem to notice anything at all except for Ben. I raised an eyebrow, and glanced over at Ben. He had the most intense, intimate look on his face that I had never seen before, and the one corner of his mouth was raised in an attractive, crooked grin. I bit down on my bottom lip to keep from laughing.

"Hello Ella," Ben replied smoothly, lifting his hand out of his jean pocket to shake hands with her. The moment their hands touched Ben's face changed from smooth to quite the opposite. He gulped and quickly retrieved his hand, stuffing it back in his pocket.

Ella beamed at him a huge, stunning smile, and said in a solid, straight-forward tone. "Where the hell have you been all my life?"

I laughed. I couldn't help it – that was _exactly _something I knew Ella would say. I didn't realize how much I had missed her until now.

I realized then that my parents had disappeared into the kitchen. Knowing that the two love birds would want some time alone, I silently snuck away and up the stairs towards my room. Once I had walked inside, and looked around and sighed softly in contentment. I sat on my bed and gazed at all of the posters on the wall of my favorite musicians and Hollywood actors. All of them seemed incredibly fake to me now. Like none of them could be more important than my family, my friends, and my..._fiancé? _

I glanced down at my hand and was startled to see my diamond ring still there, placed delicately around my left finger. I had totally forgotten about it when I had left with Victor that I hadn't even noticed it was still there. Hot, bloody ears startled to prickle at my eyes as I thought about Tristan. It's been so long since I've last seen him, so long since I had gazed lovingly at his face...

I wanted him so much. Why couldn't I have just stayed? Why did Ben have to take me away from the castle, away from him? So what if that would have been incredibly risky, to stay while the two fought for the crown? I wouldn't have cared. I would have been with Tristan, and that would have been all that would've mattered...

"Oh, Tristan." I could feel the tears as they stained my cheeks. Was it possible to love someone this much? Was it truly possible to love someone so much that it ached to be away from them?

Yes, it was possible. It had to be, or else this was all just an illusion. A sick, heart-wrenching illusion...

And then I felt it.

It wasn't a feeling. Not exactly. It was more like a silent alarm, rousing my senses. My whole body tingled, and my head screamed at me to get up.

I did. I walked out of my room and down the hall with bated breath. I felt like I was in a dream, and I couldn't hear anything around me because it was all blocked out. Terrified, I trailed my hand against the wall for support, until I reached the staircase. It was there that I started to shake.

I turned at last, and my eyes, on their own accord, happened to glance down.

Letting out a shocked cry, I fell to my knees.

_Tristan...forgive me..._

_...forgive me._

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_**Review! Please? This is my longest chapter yet. **


	5. Chapter 4: Leave Out All The Rest

**Chapter four! Yayness! *shakes booty* The sequel is coming along nicely. I'm really glad people are reading, and I'm even MORE glad that some are reviewing! For those who are you deserve a cookie! *tosses cookies*Enjoy! **

**Oh, and while you're reading this fourth chapter, I'd like you to listen to this song:**

**Leave Out All The Rest - Linkin Park**

**It's perfect for this chapter. So listen to it and read!

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Chapter Four

**MPOV**

_Tristan...forgive me..._

_...forgive me._

Forgiveness.

It was such a simple word, but no doubt had the most difficult meaning.

I had done everything that had been the least bit forgiving. I had deserted my family, my friends, and most importantly, the love of my life.

I had thrown it all away for someone who I cared least about in the world, let alone did not love. That was unforgiving. And so I didn't deserve forgiveness.

So why was I here on my knees begging for it?

It was inexcusable. Scandalous. The most disgraceful crime a person could ever commit.

I shed silent tears as I held my face in my hands, blood dripping from them and onto the carpet beneath my knees. My body shook as I knelt down before him – the one who I had pledged my life to without a second thought, and who I had inexorably died for just so that I could be with him. Forever.

But all of that was lost now. Why should he forgive me? After everything I had done to him. I had loved him, and then left him only to give him a scar that would never quite heal. A scar I had engraved inside him only for myself. I had been selfish. Cruel.

And most significantly, I _had _been heartless; maybe not to Victor, or to the others – but to the one whom I loved the most in the world.

Tristan.

I continued to weep. All of the sadness and depression that had built up inside me for the past month appeared right before my eyes, leaving me broken and defeated. I couldn't look at him, for I knew what I would see if I did – anger and hatred.

I couldn't bear that because I know that I deserved it.

I deserved it more than anything he could possibly ever give me.

"Murphy."

A shudder passed through me as he spoke. I had been deprived of him for far too long – just his voice made me quiver with pleasure. I whimpered softly, pain scorching me senseless.

And then I waited for the blow.

**TPOV**

She had come back. Murphy had come back...

All anger, hurt, and depression fled from my body, and strength flowed through me like never before. The happiness that I had been deprived of for so long reappeared, washing out all of the emptiness, the pain...the sentiment of utter loss.

She loved me. She was kneeling at my feet, crying tears of remorse and regret, and as she asked me to forgive her, over and over again, I realized then that she had always loved me. It was that single thought that encouraged me to kneel down in front of her, my hands cupping her face and lifting it so that at last I could stare into her beautiful emerald eyes; the ones I have dreamed of since that last night when she had left me.

"Murphy."

Her eyes were closed, but filled with tears. Wiping them away with my thumb, I murmured gently, "Look at me."

After a long, torturous moment, she did. A gasp escaped her throat as she saw what was reflected in my eyes – love.

A love so deep and powerful that it stunned her.

No longer did I care that she left with my brother, because I knew the truth.

And the truth was that she had always loved me, as I have always loved her.

I could see it, too, in her eyes.

We were both momentarily stunned by this suddenly known fact.

"How...?" she trailed off, staring at me with a look of wonder on her face. She didn't have to finish, because I knew already what she had meant to ask.

"We're not perfect," I murmured, staring deeply into her eyes, "We were never meant to be perfect. I may not understand what all you did and why, but the important thing is...I love you Murphy. I've always loved you, and I will _never _stop loving you."

"Aren't you...mad?" Her beautiful voice shook with the shock.

I laughed, softly, as to not startle her. "I was, incredibly. What did you expect, after all I had just gotten engaged to the woman of my life, and she left me for...my brother," I grimaced, and then smiled. "But Murphy, none of that matters anymore. He's gone, and he's never coming back."

I could see that she tried to smile, but only managed to lift the corners of her lips just slightly. A red tear slid down her cheek as she whispered, "I'd thought you'd...resent me...after all I've done."

"Resent you?" My grip on her tightened, and I brought her to my chest, crushing her in my loving embrace. "Murphy...I could never resent you, no matter what you did or will do in the future. My heart is always with you, and will be carried with you for the rest of eternity."

A sob escaped her throat, and before I knew it she had her arms wrapped around me, squeezing me relentlessly. I hugged her back fiercely, not being able to get enough of her. She was mine, forever and for always, and this time I was never going to let her go.

**MPOV**

He had forgiven me.

Why did I feel so surprised? I should have known that he would have forgiven me after all I had done to him. I should have expected his graciousness, his kindness, his...love.

And because of my stupidity I cried.

Because of his love I cried.

Because of the happiness that was beginning to once more bloom inside me I cried, and cried, and cried.

And he let me, rocking me back and forth and murmuring sweet nothings in my ear. I clutched him as if my life depended on it, and then when I was done crying, I lifted my head and our lips met.

Perfection.

Everything was perfect in that moment. The way our lips touched, sliding against each others heavenly, purposefully. The way his arms slid around my back and made my breath quicken. The touch of his tongue as it brushed the tip of mine, sending sparks to fly between us in a gentle wave of ecstasy. All of it was perfect. There were no flaws, no defects. And most of all, there was no anguish.

When we broke apart, finally, we glanced up to see an audience standing before us, huge smiles on all of their faces. I bit down on my bottom lip and giggled.

"Soo, Murphy...I'm guessing you two are back together?" Ben teased, grinning at me. "You still have a fiancé after all."

"Fiancé?" Ella gasped.

"Yes," Taking Tristan's hand, I stood up and leaned myself against him, my pale face positively glowing with happiness. "I told you, didn't I? Tristan is my fiancé."

"Oh my God!" Ella bounded towards me and crushed me in a hug, "How could I not have heard that? Girl, I'm so happy for you!!"

I laughed softly and patted her back, careful not to break a dainty bone in her body. "Um, I think you were sort of distracted..." I looked over her shoulder at Ben and rolled my eyes. He shot a smug grin in my direction, and I stuck my tongue out at him. Beside me, Tristan chuckled.

"Okay, so when is the wedding? I'm going to be your maid in honor, right? Oh gosh of course I am! I wonder what the colors of the dresses are going to be...oh red, probably, because that's your favorite. And your dress? Ohmigosh! We'll have to find one right away..."

"Ella. Ella stop," I pulled her gently away from me and gave her a stern stare down, "We haven't even planned anything for the wedding yet. We haven't even set a date..." I glanced over at Tristan humorously.

"Oh, but why not?! You are going to get married soon, right? I mean look at you two, you're just so happy and you seem so in love and-"

"Ella, relax. We'll plan a date soon, I promise. Just...not now. A lot has happened recently so-"

"How about June 13th? Summer weddings are the best. And thirteen is how old my younger brother is...or maybe it should be the 18th because that's how old Dylan-"

"_Ella!"_

Both Tristan and I shouted simultaneously in an attempt to shut her up. She stopped, glanced over at us, and blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"Right now, all we need is a breather." I smiled at the irony of my statement. If only she knew...I felt butterflies erupt in my stomach. Should I really tell her, my best friend, that I was a vampire?

I didn't want to risk losing her...but then again, would it hurt her if I kept it from her?

I glanced over at Tristan and saw him gazing sympathetically at me. Sighing, I glanced back over at Ella and saw that she wasn't even paying attention to us anymore, but to Ben, who was obviously delighted that he interested her so much.

With a start I realized that if the two fell in love, then _Ben _could quite possibly let the truth slip...and then he would have no choice but to tell her that I was one of them. Would she be mad if I wouldn't tell her first?

Feeling greatly conflicted by these troublesome thoughts, I leaned over and hugged myself against Tristan, letting his hands begin to gently massage my sides. My head fell on his chest and my eyes closed, losing myself in him before one of my mental breakdowns occurred.

Why couldn't anything in life be easy?

That was simple: because everything in life had to be complicated.

At least I had Tristan now. No longer would I have to be scared, miserable – afraid. Because with him, my life was simply complete.

A part of me had gone missing when I had left with Victor. With that part gone, I wasn't myself. I couldn't live life the way I wanted to live it, with that little piece of the puzzle misplaced. However, now that Tristan had reappeared in my life, that part of me was filled, and the puzzle was complete.

It was a miracle that all my life, I had been missing this piece, until Tristan came around. It made me wonder what would have happened if I had never met Tristan; never saved him from those demons...would that piece still be missing? Would I have even noticed that it wasn't there?

Maybe. Maybe not.

All that mattered now though was that Tristan was here, and all was well.

And our wedding would be soon. Very, very soon.

And, glancing over at Ben and Ella grinning at each other from across the room, I had a feeling that there wouldn't be just one wedding that I will be attending.

The thought made me smile, and for the first time since that day I had left Tristan, I felt hope. Hope for greater things to come, and hope for the rest of our lives...and eternity.

And that hope made all the difference.

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**For this chapter I decided to switch POV's, just so that everyone can see both of Tristan and Murphy's feelings during their encounter. I don't want to switch POV's through out the whole story though, so please please please PLEASE help me decide which one I should do. Tristan or Murphy? It would help a lot if you clued me in. I really need to know everyone's opinion on this because I love them both! Oh, and also, what did you think?! You like? Review and let me know! Love ya'll.**

**~Mystic  
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	6. Chapter 5: All I Want To Do

**Okay, so sorry guys for the long wait. I have been waiting for this one college letter for almost a month now, and I got an email last week telling me that I would be getting it soon, and I haven't been capable of writing since. I've been tossing and turning, and I have been one hell of a restless person. So I'm sorry if this is not my greatest, but to all of those high school seniors out there who are going through the same thing, I'm sure you understand and will give me a break. Also, I am working on some other stories at the same time, so updates won't be as fast as they were in my first book. If you're impatient and want to read something else while you wait, I'd love for you to check out my Twilight fics, The Other Singer, Forever Lost In You, and Shadows of the Sun. They are all a work in progress. Oh, and I have some smutty one-shots too, if you like that kind of thing. I'm sorry, I hope you understand what a busy person I am, and that, yes, I do have a life. Anyways, enough with the negativity; go read and have fun! And review when you're done! Because you know you love me.**

**Oh, and for the song, look up on youtube, "All I Want To Do" by Sugarland. Haha, it fits perfectly with this chapter!  
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Chapter Five

**MPOV**

"Are you saying Victor just...left?"

I was sitting on the couch, or well, more specifically, on Tristan's lap, my arms wrapped loosely around his neck as I listened to him talk about what had happened between him and Victor. So far I understood that he went there wanting to work things out with him, and it ended up to be one big fight, which I knew would happen anyway. But what I didn't understand was that Victor had just left when it was all over. How would that make any sense?

I blinked at my fiancé in confusion.

Tristan sighed, rubbing my back in a way that sent chills up and down my spine. Damn. It had been far too long since I had any physical contact with this man...er, vampire. It was like each touch that he gave me caused me to want more...as if I was greedy, almost.

Greedy for his love, and perhaps maybe...more?

It has been so long since that night when we had last done it. Just the thought of doing it with him again made me shiver voluntarily, and a smile crept onto my face. Tristan, seeing this, looked at me suspiciously, probably wondering why the hell I was smiling when we were talking about a very serious matter. I quickly frowned.

"Murphy, are you all right?"

"I'm fine. Don't change the subject. So what do you mean, Victor just left? Explain." I leaned down and snuggled further until I was more comfortable. I felt something incredibly bulgy press against the spot between my legs, and I forced myself to not gasp.

"Murphy," Tristan groaned.

"Oh..._oh. _Shit." I was about to pull away but was held firmly by a pair of strong, manly hands. I looked up and stared up at him, my lips parted and my eyes wide with yearning.

"Murphy, I don't think this would be the right time to uh...make up for the love we've missed," he murmured hoarsely.

"Why not?" I whispered sweetly against his lips, leaning forward and making sure my chest brushed seductively against his. He groaned again.

"Murphy, I'm being serious. Everyone is upstairs sleeping and we're..." he trailed off uncertainly.

I grinned. "And we're down here. So what's the problem?"

"The problem is..." Taking my waist, he lifted me up and plopped me down beside him. I scowled softly. "...that we would probably wake them up."

"We'll be quiet," I whispered, biting down on my lip softly.

Tristan chuckled. "I don't think so. You uh, tend to scream..."

"I do?!" I stared at him, bewildered. How come I had never been aware of that?

"Er, yes." He smiled at me, taking my hand and brushing his lips against it affectionately, "You know I want you Murphy. More than anything, I want you again..." He pulled me closer and buried his head against the nape of my neck. "To hear you moan, when I slip inside you..." I shuddered. "And the way you scream my name when you cum for me..."

I gulped. "I s-scream when I cum?"

"Yes, you do," he murmured, kissing my neck.

"Oh, damn," Taking his face in my hands, I pressed him against the back of the sofa with my body and began kissing him passionately. Groaning, he kissed me back, slipping his hands beneath my shirt and grasping my breasts.

I returned the favor by shoving my hand down his pants.

His eyes popped open and he gasped. "Shit, Murphy," He released my breasts and took my hand, jerking it out of his pants. I glanced down and giggled when I noticed the familiar bulge there, considerably bigger than before.

"Sorry," I whispered, still giggling.

Tristan rolled his eyes at me. "Sure you are."

I leaned forward and kissed his lips one more time, however this time more gently. "So, you never answered my question," I toyed with a strand of his hair thoughtfully, patiently waiting for his response.

"There's not that much to know. I went to the castle, confronted him, and we got into a fight. I told him that if he ever did something like that to you again, I would not hesitate to kill him."

I gasped, "No, Tristan!"

He shook his head, "No, Murphy. I don't care what you think; you are the most important thing in my life right now. _Ever. _And I will not let anything, even my own brother, get in the way of our relationship."

"So...our relationship is more important than your own brother?" I murmured.

"No. _You _are more important than my own brother. And there's nothing you can do about that," Tristan said firmly, caressing my cheek lovingly with his thumb and causing my breath to quicken.

Bloody tears filled my vision. "I love you, Tristan."

He smiled softly. "I love you too, kiddo."

"Kiddo?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Can't I call my fiancé kiddo?" He grinned at me.

"Um, no." I narrowed my eyes and frowned. "Bad idea."

"And why is that?" A smirk flashed across his face.

"Because I just might have to do...this." And before he could see it coming, I grabbed a pillow and smacked it hard upside his head. He gasped in surprise, before letting out a loud, bellowing laugh and tackling me to the floor.

"Tristan! Argh! No!" I squirmed in his grasp as he pinned me to the floor, the length of his body pressing hard against all of mine. I giggled for a couple of minutes while he tickled me, until we both caught each other's stare. Almost instantly, the playful friction between us turned deeply smoldering. And so we began kissing each other madly, our hands touching all of the places that made my body flame up with passion.

We rolled, hands groping, lips smashing, our breath hitching, until no longer were we aware of any physical boundaries. I shoved my hand once more down his pants, and this time he didn't object.

"Murphy," he groaned, caressing my nipples beneath my shirt and making me gasp and sigh with pleasure. I moaned and arched myself against him, catching his mouth with my own and sucking and nibbling at his bottom lip.

"I love you," he whispered, already about to unbutton my jeans when we both heard a groan from across the room. And it wasn't the 'fuck me I'm hot' kind of groan either. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It sounded like someone was in pain.

We froze, our eyes widening as we looked up and saw Ben standing there, covering his eyes with one of his hands and mumbling, 'fuck', over and over beneath his breath.

Slowly, I took my hand out of Tristan's pants and reluctantly rolled off of him. Tristan coughed loudly and stood up, helping me to my feet. He then looked over at his youngest brother and smiled sheepishly in embarrassment.

"Fuck, Murphy what did you possibly do to convince Tristan to have sex in your family's living room?!" Ben exclaimed, amazed and sounding impressed. His hand was still covered over his eyes, but he was grinning like a mad man. "Am I okay to look now? Well, it won't matter anyway; I'm damn well scarred for life. Thanks."

I giggled. "You're welcome."

"Shit, Ben, what are you doing down here?" Tristan asked with a frown. He still looked pretty embarrassed, which I thought was kind of cute. I took his hand and smiled softly at him, reassuring him that everything was okay. Ben hadn't passed out and died, which was all that mattered.

"I'm getting a glass of water. Is that allowed?"

"Couldn't you have just gone to the kitchen?" Tristan argued irritably.

"Why, is it impossible to go through the living room?" Ben shot back, annoyed.

"No, but it's easier to just go to the kitchen."

"Well excuse me for wanting a little exercise!"

"You don't need exercise Ben, you're a vampire." I said with a roll of my eyes.

"You're right. Sex _does _burn a lot of calories, doesn't it?"

I gasped, and then broke out laughing.

Tristan just shook his head at him. "Hilarious," he muttered sarcastically.

"And just who do you have sex with?" I questioned, enjoying this little conversation.

"You're mom," he answered gleefully.

In lightning speed I grabbed for a pillow on the couch and chucked it at him. He ducked, laughing hysterically when he saw me fuming, my hands balled into fists.

"It's okay, love, you know he's just joking," Tristan murmured softly, walking over to wrap his hand around my waist.

"Of course I know he's joking," I snapped, still glaring at Ben. "God, why are you so obnoxious?"

"Me?" Tristan exclaimed, startled.

"No, your mom," I said sarcastically.

Ben stopped laughing and turned to stare at me. I smirked devilishly at him.

"Bitch," he mumbled.

"Hey!" Both Tristan and I protested.

"Jeez, keep your pants on," his eyes widened the moment these words left his mouth, and he burst out laughing once more. "Get it? _Keep your pants on? _Haha!"

Tristan and I looked at each other, and then left the room without a single word. Ben was still laughing by the time we were both upstairs, until we crept into my room and closed the door.

The moment we were alone, I flung myself at him. My mouth claimed his in barely a second to spare, and as we both fell onto my bed, I whispered softly the words he had been waiting to hear all night.

"_Make me yours..."_

And with a single thrust of the covers over our heads, he did just that.

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**Short and sweet.**

**It's not much, but at least it is something, right?**

**Expect the next chapter maybe next week, or earlier, if I'm up to it.**

**You know how you can help me, though?**

**Haha, yup, you guessed it. Review!**

**Because you guys love me, I know you do. **

**And you will do anything that will make me happy. Hehe.**

**Now get to it! *smacks your bottom***

**Hehe, love ya'll.  
**

**~Mystic  
**


	7. Chapter 6: Freaking Gorgeous

**Thanks everyone for the reviews so far! I really appreciate it. But knowing me, I'd always love more. :)**

**I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I made it extra funny for you!**

**Oh, and did I mention it was in BEN'S point of view??!**

**Yep, I know. You're excited. Now go read!!**

**And *cough* review!  
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Chapter Six

**Ben POV**

Freaking gorgeous.

Those were the two words that were running through my mind as I stared at Ella from across the room. What human could possibly be this stunning? I mean, I have to admit that I was attracted to Murphy the first time I saw her, but _Ella..._her beauty just radiated off her like...like freaking beams of sunlight.

_Did I just say her beauty radiated off her like freaking beams of sunlight?_

Now I was certain that I was losing it.

She caught me staring at her from across the living room and turned her head to look at me, a stunning smile perfectly set into place on her pursed lips. I blinked, mesmerized, before my brother's persistent voice flung me back into the present.

"Dude, what the hell is wrong with you?"

_Good question. Mind answering it for me? _I thought with an irritated glance his way.

Jared looked over at Ella, glanced back at me, and then smirked obnoxiously. I crossed my arms and muttered something unintelligent beneath my breath. What was with older brothers and their total lack of compassion? Seriously, their attitude was beginning to piss me off. So what if I was the youngest? I was still a freaking vampire; the least they could do was treat me like one. I wasn't an annoying little new born anymore; I had some experience on my hands.

And wasn't I the one who saved Murphy and brought her back? Tristan hadn't even given me his thanks, let alone even acknowledged my presence. In fact, he's been all moody with me ever since. What was his deal? If he didn't explain soon, I won't hesitate to verbally pound him until he gives me some answers. And I was beginning to think that would be soon, because as Tristan strolled into the living room, he pointedly ignored me and headed straight towards Murphy who was settled comfortably beside her best friend on the couch.

Tristan picked Murphy up effortlessly off the couch, sat down, and gracefully placed her on his lap. As he began to affectionately place kisses all along the curve of her neck, jealously hit me full force. My fists clenched, and I unconsciously found myself once more gazing at Ella. And to my surprise, she was already staring straight back at me.

Glancing away quickly, I stood up and strode forward. "Tristan," I stated calmly, but with a firmness that immediately averted his attention from his fiancé's neck. He glanced up at me and raised an eyebrow.

"We need to talk," I muttered. "Now," I added, before he could turn his attention back to Murphy. I wasn't about to take no as an answer. But then again, when did I _ever _take no as an answer?

Frowning, Tristan stood up and let Murphy plop back down softly on the couch next to Ella. Once we were outside and well enough out of hearing, I began plummeting Tristan fiercely with my words.

"What the hell did I do to make you hate me so much, man? The last thing I remember, I brought back your fiancé. The least thing you can do is be _grateful. _But no, instead, you're glaring at me as if I was the one who had her go in the first place! Which, by the way, was her _own _decision," I ended with a snap, nearly snarling in his face. My hands were hard stones by my side, and I silently prayed that I wouldn't have to use them.

"I am grateful," Tristan murmured softly, refusing to meet my eyes. "I'm more than grateful, in fact."

"Then explain why the hell you're so bitchy to me all the sudden. You're freaking pissing me off, man."

"Are you sure you want to know why? Because I'm not sure you're in the mood to find out." He glanced down purposefully at my clenched fists, and with a sigh I released them from their strong hold grip.

"Why are you pissed?" I repeated, more calmly this time. I made a mental note not to attack him when I found out, because then that would make him pissed. And two pissed off vampires did not equal a very pretty picture.

"_You fucking kissed my future wife."_

I blinked several times before a huge grin split across my face.

"It's not funny!" Tristan snapped, narrowing his eyes at me.

I started cracking up.

"Shut the hell up Ben! I'm serious!"

I couldn't stop laughing.

"Can't...stop...laughing..." I choked out; not noticing the infuriated look Tristan gave me this time.

I got a better sense of his fury when he punched his fist right into my stomach.

"Crap! _Ow!"_

Despite the momentary pain, _I was still fucking laughing._

"Want me to do it again?" Tristan threatened.

"No, no, dude stop," I said quickly when Tristan raised his fist warningly above his head. "Jeez. I thought you weren't jealous?" I added with a smirk.

"I was," Tristan muttered, lowering his fist and gritting his teeth. "I just didn't want her to know, all right?"

"So you've been hiding your jealously all this time?" I couldn't believe it. _My _brother was jealous of _me _for having kissed his fiancé? I wasn't the one who was getting married. _I _wasn't the one who had an amazing girl who loved me. He really had no reason to be jealous.

And then it hit me. He wasn't jealous...he was acting all _protective._

"Dude," I said, still smirking. "You're not jealous."

"I'm not?" he replied with a questioning frown.

"No. You're just staking your claim now that you proposed to her and everything. You're not jealous at all."

"She kissed you, man."

"Again, staking your claim."

"But I also got jealous."

"Dude, don't get the feelings confused."

"I'm not getting the damn feelings confused! You're just an idiot!" Tristan growled, pissed again now that his _younger _brother was telling him he couldn't tell which feelings were which. He knew what feelings felt like! He wasn't a freaking moron!

Ben chuckled. "Listen, I'm sorry if you're getting all _possessive _over your fiancé, but uncase you have forgotten, Murphy kissed _me _to get away. Don't let that fact slip your mind. I was freaking taken advantage of. You know me and my weakness..."

Tristan stiffened. "Did you just call my fiancé your weakness?"

_Oh. Shit._

"No, no, I meant...girls in particular. Especially very attractive ones that I wouldn't mind having my hands on..."

A snarl rippled the tranquility of the yard, startling a flock of birds.

I grimaced. _Double shit._

"_What _did you just say?"

"That Murphy is all yours?" I attempted with a fearful smile.

Tristan took a step forward. "That's not what you said," he growled lowly, his eyes hardening as my words processed at the front of his mind.

"Please. Don't smite me," I pleaded in a high, scared voice. I chuckled mentally, knowing better than anyone else that Tristan _hated _it when someone joked while he was mad. This was a fact frequently learned.

Snarling, Tristan pounced.

I leapt out of the way in barely a second to spare. He ended up colliding hard against a tree.

"HAHA! Suck _that!" _I exclaimed cheerfully, and before he could _literally _smite me into little vampire pieces, I whirled around and ran inside the house.

"Hey, what's going on out there?" I heard Murphy call from the living room.

Grinning, I strolled back in and plopped right back down on the chair. "Tristan found out that he finds trees very appealing," I joked, still grinning.

She stared at me hard. "Ben, what did you do?"

"Why is it always me that gets the blame?" I complained, feigning my displeasure.

She rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Ben. Now what the hell did you do to my fiancé?"

"Why don't you go outside and find out?" I challenged.

"Fine, I will." Standing up, she strode right out of the house, making sure to give me a warning glare on the way out.

Once she was gone, Ella's eyebrows shot up. "What did you do?" she questioned cautiously.

I leaned back with a satisfied sigh. "Tristan's front teeth are stuck in the bark of the tree."

Ella gasped. "Oh God! I have _got _to see this!"

Laughing, I followed Ella out the back door and joined the little gathering outside of the house. We all stood there surrounding the tree that Tristan was currently stuck to, his hands clawing bits and pieces off the bark as he wildly attempted to free himself.

"_BEN WHEN I'M FREE I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" _He snarled, clawing furiously the bark of the tree in a fit of rage.

I crossed my arms, chuckling. "Unlikely."

"Ben, don't anger him further. He already has the wrath of the devil," Jared warned, but I could tell that he was just as amused as I was.

"Okay, let's see, there _has _to be a way to get your teeth out of there...wow, you must have really smacked against it hard. What did Ben do?"

"Again, with the blame," I mumbled to myself.

Ella smiled sympathetically at me.

"All right, on the count of three, we pull. Jared and Bed, grab his legs. Ella and I will take his arms," Murphy went around and took Tristan's left arm in her grasp. Jared and I leaned forward and grabbed his legs.

"Ready?"

"Ready," we all said together, bracing ourselves.

"One, two...THREE!"

We pulled. And yanked. And pulled.

Tristan groaned, pushing himself away from the tree with his hands as hard as his vampire strength would permit.

We continued to pull and yank. Until finally...

Freedom!

I heard Ella scream, and it took me a moment until I understood why.

We were flying backwards.

Quickly, I turned and caught Ella in my arms right in time before we hit the ground and rolled. Dirt and dust flew into my mouth, and I felt Ella cling to me tighter. We crashed into a rose bush and sprawled leaves in every which way direction, causing ruckus and momentary chaos. Once we had finally stopped moving, we both breathed a sigh of relief.

And then we felt them.

"Ow!" Ella gasped.

"Shit!"

"Thorns!"

"Crap!"

"Get them out!"

"I'm trying!"

They were everywhere. Muttering painful oaths underneath my breath, I frantically began to get the thorns that were pricking Ella's skin, not even noticing the ones that were on me until I moved and felt one dig deeper into my thigh. I winced, but kept on working, adamant in taking care of Ella first before I started worrying about myself.

After I was certain I had gotten all of the thorns off her quivering body, I risked a glance down at her face and realized that she was staring at me, her eyes wide and her lips parted and noticeably very, very full.

I forced myself to remain sane. Damn, she was so freaking gorgeous. As she moved underneath me, I felt myself harden, and I cursed softly.

She smiled, her eyes lighting up. She moved once more beneath me, wiggling her hips and letting a gentle giggle to escape her throat.

Her touch was like fire, gloriously causing my body to ache and burn. I was being tortured. Painfully, painfully tortured. Growling, I glared down at her and murmured, "Unless you want to be raped, I suggest you stop doing that."

"Stop doing what?" she said innocently.

"This," I said dangerously, pressing my groin hard against her abdomen. She gasped, and before she could contain it a moan passed through her lips.

Damn did she know how to turn me on. And _well._

"I think..." I murmured slowly. Reluctantly. "...we need to get up before one of us does something we're going to regret."

"Like what?" Ella whispered. "Like...this?"

My eyes widened as she leaned forward and crashed her lips against mine.

Flames. Trickling flames, scorching through me like never before as our lips met and clashed together like a wild current. Groaning, I pressed her chest hard against mine and devoured her mouth fully with my own, drinking the sweetness that flowed through her lips and caused my senses to rage wildly out of control.

I was indeed out of control. A gasp, this time filled with pain, alerted me and made me stop. I pulled away and realized immediately that I had been squeezing her with abnormal human strength, and that I had left red marks on her arms. My eyes widened, and I mumbled a quick apology before stumbling out of the bushes, grimacing as the thorns I had not yet gotten pierced my skin.

Not even caring to yank them out, I started towards the house. What was I thinking, getting involved with a human? My brother may have made the mistake, but _I _wasn't about to. No matter how charming, gorgeous, and amazing that particular human was.

"Ben! Wait!"

Sighing, I turned around, my eyes catching hers warily. "Yeah, Ella?"

"How did you...how can you be...you're so _strong."_

"Yeah," I mumbled, stuffing my hands in the front pockets of my jeans and letting out another sigh. "So?"

"How _are _you?"

"I'm fine, thanks."

"No, I meant...how are you so strong?"

"Steroids?" I suggested with a shrug.

"That's not it."

"Smart."

"Ben, please. I want to know." She gazed hopefully at me, her pretty blue eyes gleaming with curiosity.

I opened my mouth, almost tempted to tell her and just get it over with. I mean, she wouldn't die, right?

And then I thought of Murphy, and I knew that I wasn't the right person who should tell her. Murphy would tell her when she was ready. So what if she deserved to know? I wasn't going to get involved. I hated all that drama shit.

"Forget it," I said at last, turning around sharply before I could see her fallen expression.

I walked into the house and up to my room with one ambition in mind.

To get the freaking gorgeous blonde-haired beauty out of my mind before I really did go completely insane.

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**Haha. So did you like it?!**

**I really do love Ben. **

**Because he is so freaking awesome, I'll probably continue with his POV for a couple more chapter's.**

**That is if people liked it!!**

**And there's only one way to find out...by reviewing and letting me know!!**

**So get to it. :)**

**~Mystic  
**


	8. Chapter 7: What Did You Say?

**Hey guys! First off, I want to thank everyone for being so patient. I'm sorry I haven't been updating this story recently, I've just been so busy with my other stories! I have fallen in love with my Twilight baby, "Shadows of the Sun", which is basically a Jake/Bella story about what their lives "should have" been like. It's set Post-Eclipse, after Edward leaves her again. So for those Twilight readers who love Jacob Black, I recommend you go read it! Oh, and for those who are Team Edward, don't kill me. I love him too. Eddie's just too damn fine to not love, right? Mmhmm, I know, trust me. Anyways, onto the story notes...I have a HUGE, I mean, _huge _surprise for you guys in this chapter. So just, promise not to freak out on me okay? Pinky swear? *waves pinky* Good. Hope you like it. If not...um, sorry? Haha.**

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Chapter Seven

**Tristan POV**

Something was going to happen...of that I was certain. I couldn't shake the feeling as I paced back and forth in Murphy's room, thinking. Murphy and I wouldn't be able to stay in her parent's house much longer, not when I was to be crowned king, and Murphy as my queen, in just a few weeks. It was time for her to give her family a final good-bye, no matter how hard I knew it would be for her. The family was incredibly close. Hell, I was even starting to take a liking to Dylan and maybe a soft spot for her mother. But I couldn't let myself get attached, not when I had responsibilities to uphold and a kingdom to rule for the next century. After all, I could not, and _would _not, think about turning the whole family into vampires and taking them with us. That was most certainly not an option.

And I knew that Ben would not like leaving either. I could tell that he was starting to form affections for Murphy's best friend, Ella, which made me even more anxious to leave as soon as possible. If they fell in love, it would only make matters worse. And if ever Ella found out that we were vampires, _especially _her best friend, all hell would break loose. I may not know Ella that well, but it didn't take a very intelligent person to realize that she was a drama queen...and a rather feisty one at that.

Just as this thought passed my mind, I heard a scream come from downstairs, followed by several high-pitched exclamations.

"_Holy mother of God!"_

"_Shit!"_

"_Are you fucking kidding me?"_

"_Oh HELL no!"_

And then...blood, mixed in with the scent of Murphy.

I was downstairs before anyone could utter another sentence, let alone a single word. I found them all standing around the bathroom, surrounding Murphy's huddled form as she leaned over and spewed blood all over the sink.

"Oh God, is she okay?" Ella's worried voice was heard louder than all the other's as she grabbed a handful of Murphy's long black hair and held it away from her face. She glanced over and then up at me, her pretty blue eyes showing her concern.

"Let me through," I demanded, shouldering my way past my brothers and towards my fiancé. As I reached her and laid my hand on her back, I felt her whole body convulse, and then she hurled once more into the sink.

I began to think of things that could have made her, a female vampire, possibly sick. Usually we were immune to almost everything, so it couldn't have been anything she had eaten or drank. My eyebrows furrowed as I contemplated. Really, vampires didn't get sick often, it was actually quite rare. Unless...

My eyes widened, and I swear my jaw dropped at the sudden realization.

It couldn't be...but could it? Could she really be...?

"Pregnant," I concluded, knowing for sure that this had to be it. What else could it possibly be? The most common symptom of a pregnant vampire was hacking up blood, and extreme migraines. There couldn't be any other reason of why she was doing this...I was sure of it.

Shock struck me. Fear second. And third...

"Fuck," I whispered hoarsely.

Ella stared at me blankly. "_What _did you just say?"

"He said 'fuck'," Ben replied.

"Not _that,_" Ella said impatiently.

"Oh...well I think he just said Murphy's pregnant," Ben said, slowly, as if he too couldn't quite comprehend it.

"I knew it," Jared murmured quietly to himself, leaning on the opposite wall of the hallway.

"Murphy's _what?" _Dylan exclaimed, his deep brown eyes wide as saucers.

"Did you just say my daughter's pregnant?" Mr. McGowen boomed loudly, striding down the hallway towards the bathroom, with his wife following quickly behind.

"Oh, my poor Murphy!" Mrs. McGowen crooned.

"Everyone, stay back!" I commanded, turning around and pushing everyone away from the door. "She needs..." I was just about to say, 'air' but decided that that was not an appropriate statement to use for a vampire. So instead I told everyone that she needed 'some space.'

Once I had gotten everyone out of the bathroom, I turned my full attention onto my fiancé and was relieved to see that she was no longer throwing up. I took one glance down at the sink, grimaced, and turned on the water so that it could wash it down the drain. After all of the bloody mess was cleaned up, I sat on the toilet and slid Murphy onto my lap.

"Murphy, love, are you all right?" I murmured softly, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear and kissing her cheek softly.

"I'm...exhausted," she admitted faintly, turning around and cuddling closer to my chest. She laid her head down against the nape of my neck and whispered, "Am I really pregnant?"

"I'm afraid so, love," I kissed her again, this time on her forehead. "I'm sorry. We should have been more careful."

"But, I didn't think it was possible...I mean, we're vampires, right? We're..."

"Dead?" I finished with a small smile, knowing that was what she had been implying.

"Yes!" She lifted her head and glanced into my eyes, frantically searching for some answers.

"Love, you can't possibly believe in all those myths, can you? About vampires not being able to conceive?"

She shrugged sheepishly, and then nodded.

"Let me start by saying that there are many different kinds of vampires. Just like cats and dogs, we all have our different breeds. Ever heard of a calico cat rarely ever being a male?"

She nodded again, this time in understanding.

"Well, it's possible. Just like it's possible for a vampire to conceive."

"So...what kind of vampire are _we _then_?" _Murphy asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.

"We are called the _Ceteri._"

"_Ceteri?"_ Murphy blinked in confusion.

"_Ceteri_ means _'the others' _in Latin," I explained. "Centuries ago, our kind was cast out, and very many were killed. They knew that we were different, and because of this they were afraid. They thought that we had some kind of power over them, and that nothing good could become of it. We had no other choice but to leave and find somewhere else to make as our home." I chuckled softly. "Now we have a whole kingdom to call our own. If only they knew where we were now...how strong we have become..." Grinning proudly, I caressed Murphy's cheek softly with my thumb. "Our kingdom is one of the largest, and because of that, one of the strongest vampire kingdoms to ever exist. And now you know why."

"Because we can conceive," Murphy whispered, her eyes having grown wide after hearing the story of my past. Her arms had somehow found their way around my neck, and were resting there loosely like it was the most natural thing in the world. I smiled softly at this light, yet intimate gesture, and pressed my future wife closer to my chest.

"Exactly."

"Why didn't you tell all of this to me before?" Murphy questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I didn't think it necessary...until now," I admitted with a sigh.

"Of course it was necessary! I'm going to become the damn queen of your kingdom! How is not telling me the history of the _Ceteri _not necessary?"

I grinned broadly. "I love it when you get all feisty. I wonder if our son is going to possess the same strong passion as you..." I pondered thoughtfully.

"What makes you think it's going to be a boy?" Murphy smirked at me. "It could be a girl. It could be...an _Ella," _she raised her voice dramatically and then gasped.

If my face wasn't already pale, it would have been starch white at that moment. _My _daughter, a future heiress to an entire vampire kingdom, being like _Ella? _I merely shuddered at the thought.

"No," I murmured flatly. "Not possible."

Murphy laughed. "You never know."

"No, I _do _know, because I will never raise my daughter that way."

"_Your _daughter?" Murphy rolled her eyes. "She is so going to be a mama's girl."

I snorted. "Hell no. Daddy's girl all the way."

Murphy's eyes sparked triumphantly. "So you think it's going to be a girl then?"

"What...no...I didn't say..." I sputtered, and then scowled humorlessly as Murphy let out a loud, victorious laugh. "Very clever, missy."

"You know what? I don't even care. No matter what gender, I'll love it as much as I love you. Perhaps more."

I growled softly. She giggled and leaned forward, kissing my lips. I tasted the dry blood, and hungrily pressed my mouth harder against hers. The passion that we still held for each other for so long flared between us, and a moan escaped both of our parted lips. I was almost tempted to take her there, right in her parent's bathroom, when there was a knock on the door. I sighed in frustration and pulled myself away.

"What do you want?" I called out irritably.

"If I open the door will you promise not to rip my head off?" Ella's voice persisted from the other side of the door.

Before I could possibly respond, Murphy told her best friend to come on in. I pressed my hands more firmly against Murphy's sides; a single yet obvious gesture telling her this was not over, and pulled her off my lap just as Ella came barging in.

"Okay, Murphy, I _demand _to know what's going on."

Murphy opened her mouth to explain but was cut off as Ella vehemently began to list the reasons of why she was so damn confused.

"First, I find out you're _engaged. _How old are we again? Eighteen? And _then _your so called 'fiance' gets his teeth stuck in a damn tree! I mean, how the hell does that happen? What kind of _human being _gets their front teeth jammed so hard into a tree that they can't get out? I mean, god, that's totally ludicrous! And then I get _thrown _backwards and into this bush with Ben, and realize he has like, this supernatural kind of strength that's just, _not natural. _Look, I still have the marks!" She pointed fiercely to the imprinted marks on both of her arms, frowning. "And then, god, now you're _pregnant? _Not to mention puking _blood! _That's not normal Murphy! _Not. Normal. _You better tell me what the _hell _is going on or I swear I'm going to call the damn police on your ass!"

Ben sighed dreamily from outside the bathroom doorway. "Isn't she wonderful?"

I ignored him. "Would you seriously do that?" I questioned, my hands tightening into fists. I was ready to defend my wife against anyone, even if it _was _her best friend.

"_No!" _Ella spat, rolling her eyes at me. She glanced back over at Murphy and raised an eyebrow. "Well?"

Murphy sighed. "Tristan, I think I should talk to Ella alone." _She might handle it better that way, _she thought, directing it towards me.

I nodded. "Okay. Come on, Ben." Standing up, I slid past Ella apprehensively, not missing the warning look she gaze me with her fierce, sapphire eyes.

_Damn, she'd be one hell of a vampire..._ I thought with an amused smile, finally slipping past her with Ben by my side.

And I knew, by just glancing at Ben's face, that he was beginning to think the same.

As the bathroom door closed behind us, I clenched my hands into fists once more, silently praying that everything would turn out okay between my fiancé and her very best friend.

**Murphy POV**

"You're a..._vampire?!" _Ella screeched.

I winced. I knew she wouldn't take it very well...but at least I had told my best friend the truth. That was all that counted, right? I mean, there was no possible way I could've lied about it forever. Ella was too smart for her own good. She knew something was up after just two days of being with me. I wondered if it was really that obvious that I was different. Would my classmates at school know that I wasn't the same as well? Well, it didn't matter anyway; I wasn't going back there...not anymore. I had a whole entire kingdom to worry about.

"Yes," I murmured. "I know it might be hard to believe, but..."

"Prove it," Ella demanded.

I sighed. "If I must..."

I began circling Ella in an invisible blur, going so fast that she could barely feel me move. After about thirty seconds, I slowed down and came to an immediate halt right in front of her. I gazed softly at her pale, stunned face, and reached out to take her hand.

She let me.

"I know...I'm different now," I whispered. "But I'm still _me, _Ella. I'm still your very best friend. We've known each other since kindergarten. I may have changed physically, but mentally, and emotionally...I'm the same person you've known since we were five."

Ella sniffled, and then threw her arms around me. "Oh, Murphy! I can't believe this...my best friend is a _vampire! _How more freakish can my life get?!"

I let out a laugh. "How more freakish can _your _life get? Ella, I fell in love with a vampire, got changed into one, and now I'm having a vampire _baby. _Yeah, I think I'm the one with the freaky life here."

Snorting, Ella pulled away and eyed me sternly. "Murphy, I swear, if you complain to me one time I'm afraid I might have to slap you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why the threat?"

"_Because! _You have someone that _loves _you Murphy! You'll never die! And you're having a _baby! _That's like...a fairy tale life in itself. How could you ever complain about _that?"_

"Well...if you put it that way..." I trailed off uncertainly.

"What other way is there to put it? Seriously Murphy, be happy for yourself. I mean, just because you're a bloodsucking monster now doesn't mean you're a freak, even though technically you may seem like it."

"Oh, thanks Ella." I stated sarcastically.

"You're welcome. And remember, I'll always be here for you." She hugged me again, clutching me tightly for a moment or two before letting me go and opening the bathroom door, posing seductively by it.

"Now, go out there and flaunt your sexy vampire ass self!"

I giggled, stepping out the door and feeling like a huge load has just been lifted. "Ella you're such a freaking drama queen."

"..._and damn proud of it!_"

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**Haha, so, what did you think?**

**Hate it? Love it? Want to kiss it?**

**(damn you Desia for having me say that!)**

**...anyways. Tell me what you think!!**

**I'd LOOOOOOOOOVE to know!**

**Yeah, obviously I'm really hyper.**

**SO REVIEW!! Or I'll sick Ella on you!**

***Grabs Ella and threatens to let her loose***

**Bwahaha..that's right, I went there...**

**Now I will quit talking so that I don't sound physcotic...**

**~Mystic  
**


	9. Chapter 8: Did You Miss Me?

**Whoo, eighth chapter! *does a little jig* God I need to stop dancing, I really suck at it. Haha. Anyways...yeah, next chapter. Go read, have fun, and afterwards, you know what to do...**

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Chapter Eight

**Murphy POV**

I groaned and leaned over the sink, puking all over it for the third time since this morning. Who knew pregnancy could suck this much? Well, whoever knew, they could've given me a damn warning! As ironic as it sounded, I really wish I could die to rid myself of this excruciating nausea. I was sick and tired of it, and I had only been pregnant for a couple of weeks.

"Murphy, love? Are you feeling better?"

_The hell I am! _I wanted to snap, but I managed to keep my raging emotions under control, and instead I called pleasantly to my fiancé who was standing anxiously outside the door, "No, not really. Go ahead and hunt, I'll be fine staying here with Ella until you get back."

"But aren't you hungry?" Tristan questioned, and just by his tone of voice I could tell that he was uncertain about keeping me alone with my best friend. I rolled my eyes, and another wave of nausea hit me. I leaned once more over the sink, gasping, my insides shaking.

"Murphy?" I heard the door knob start to turn.

"No, no, go," I groaned, wondering if he was crazy. Me? _Hungry? _I would've laughed if I wasn't already about to puke.

I let out a soft sigh of relief when I heard Ella's voice from outside the door. "Ben and Jared are leaving Tristan, so you better go if you want to catch up. Murphy will be fine with me, okay? She promised me that she wouldn't bite me."

Despite how extremely icky I was feeling at the moment, I couldn't help but let out a short laugh, followed by a rush of nausea. I clutched my stomach with my hands and groaned. _You're killing me, you know that? _I thought to my baby, sitting down and slumping against the wall. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, waiting for the nausea to fade.

_But I love you anyway, _I thought with a smile. _I bet you're going to be beautiful. Even more beautiful than Tristan. Hah, you'll probably be a little heart breaker when you get older. But not like Jason, _I winced at the memory of my long-time human crush that had broken my heart more than once, and with no regrets. Not even one. _No, never like Jason..._

"Murphy?"

I snapped out of my thoughts as I heard Ella's concerned voice from outside the bathroom door. Lifting my head, I sighed in relief when I realized the nausea was gone, and got up slowly to open the door.

"I'm okay, I think," I murmured, my hands still clutching my stomach. I glanced up at Ella and smiled reassuringly.

"Wow. You look like hell."

I considered slapping her. Hard.

"Thanks L, I appreciate you telling me that," I told her sarcastically.

She giggled. "You're welcome. Come on," she took my hand and began leading me towards my room. I raised an eyebrow, confused. Once we had made it up the stairs and into my room, she closed the door, locked it, and turned to face me.

"Um, Ella, everyone is out hunting. And my parents and Dylan are at work and school," I stated, making sure she knew.

"Yeah, so?" she questioned, obviously not getting my point about the stupidity of locking the door when no one was home.

I sighed and shook my head. Sometimes my best friend was so _clueless. _Not to mention she lacked a considerate amount of common sense. "Never mind. What is it?"

"Okay, so remember when Tristan got his teeth stuck in the tree?"

"I don't think anyone will be able to forget that."

"Right. So anyway, when we all pulled him out, me and Ben kind of...fell on top of each other and rolled into some thorn bushes."

I winced. "Ouch." Thorns were excruciatingly painful, even for a vampire. They dug into your thick marble skin with ease, and when you pulled them out they left a small, ugly imprint that could last for days. I wondered suddenly what Ben must have looked like, with thorn marks all over his body. I bit down on my bottom lip to keep from giggling.

"Uh, hello? Murphy? Are you paying attention?" Ella snapped impatiently, resting a hand on her hip.

"Yes, I am. Continue."

"Okay, so then he started pulling them off me, and things started to get a little..." she trailed off, grinning mischievously. "Heated," she finished with a smirk.

I gasped. "Oh my God, Ella! You didn't?"

Ella nodded, and for reasons unknown to me, she looked rather proud of herself. "I did. And oh Sweet Jesus Murphy, it was _amazing!_"

"Ella, are you completely _insane? _You _kissed _him? What did he do?" Yes, I was horrified, because I knew what Ella was like when it came to guys. What she wants, she doesn't just get, she _takes. _Every guy that I remember having been involved with Ella always fell for her hard, and it wasn't because Ella wanted them to. It was because she had the looks, the attitude, and the charismatic personality that would make any guy swoon.

"Well...he kind of kissed me back," Ella admitted, smiling innocently.

Oh yeah, Ben was _so _screwed.

I groaned. "Ella, you _do _realize what you just got yourself into, right?"

"Um...no?" She looked scared as I began to stare her down.

"He is going to fall in love with you. Hell, he probably already has with that trick you played on him, rolling in the thorns and everything-"

"It wasn't a trick!" Ella protested.

"-and you'll probably fall in love with him. I mean, he's Ben. He's freaking irresistible." _And you guys would seriously be great together, _I thought to myself, and then continued. "And then, guess what? _Bam! _He'll turn you into a vampire like Tristan did to me."

"What's so bad about that?" Ella asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "I mean, you're happy right?"

"That's not the point," I said, grinding my teeth together. All right, so we're going to take this the hard way. No problemo, I could do this. "Ella, being a vampire isn't all perfect as it may seem. Yeah, we live forever, and yeah, we have supernatural abilities, but have you even thought about the monster you will become? Have you even stopped to think that I have the ability to _kill _you, right now, if I wanted to?"

Ella rolled her eyes. "You're not going to kill me."

"Ella, listen to me. I'm not saying that I want to. I'm saying that I _could. _You have no idea what vampires can do, what we are capable of. We drink _blood, _Ella. And no, not just animal blood. _Human _blood."

I really had not been planning on telling Ella that, but she needed to know. She needed to realize that being a vampire wasn't all fun and games. It was much, _much _more than that.

I watched as her eyes widened, and listened as her breath caught in her throat. I waited for her to say something, knowing that I had shocked her with this little bit of information. I had a sudden sickening feeling in my stomach that made me wonder if I had just ruined our precious friendship. Was she going to run away now? And if so, would she ever come back?

"Ella-" I frantically started.

"No," she whispered. "I understand. Really, I do."

"You do?" I questioned uncertainly.

"You don't want me to be like you," she said flatly, turning away.

"Ella," I exclaimed in exasperation. Taking her hand, I spun her back around easily so that she was facing me. "Ella, you're my best friend, _of course _I don't want you to become a vampire like me! I want you to have a long, happy, _normal _life. You don't deserve this."

"I don't deserve the gift of immortality?" Ella narrowed her eyes fiercely at me. "I don't deserve to have really cool supernatural abilities and a person I could love for eternity?"

Bloody tears sprung to my eyes as I fought with her, my hands clenching into tight, marble-like fists. "_You don't deserve losing your family you have known for most of your life! You don't deserve the power to kill humans mercilessly and watching their precious life fade from their eyes!" _I didn't stop for a breath as I continued to scream in my best friend's mortified face. "_You don't deserve thirsting for blood every single day and knowing that you will never stop feeling thirsty, never stop feeling quite satisfied after sucking a human dry._" My voice shook tremendously as I finished softly with a whisper, "So I'm sorry if I think that you don't deserve all that."

Silence.

I stared into Ella's eyes, trying to read what was there.

Hurt. Anger. Betrayal. And...what was that? A soft trace of..._understanding?_

"I didn't know you hated being a vampire so bad." Ella murmured sympathetically. "If you're so miserable, why did you let Tristan change you?"

"I'm not miserable," I stated firmly. "I'm very happy with Tristan. And I'm even happier now, with a baby on the way..." I touched my stomach lightly with my fingers and smiled. "But if you want to be a vampire Ella, you need to understand the facts first. When you're a vampire, you will never stop being a vampire. You have to be _certain. _Before Tristan changed me, I was certain because I would rather become a vampire than live life without him. But Ella...you have _so _much going for you. Family, friends, college...becoming a fashion designer. That's your dream, right? Never give up on your dream."

"I know," she said with a sigh. "But...Ben..."

"You can still be together, if you choose," I said gently, reaching out for her hand again. I squeezed it reassuringly. "But if you value your life Ella, which I _know _you do, he'll respect your decision about not becoming a vampire. I know Ben. I know the kind of guy that he is. He wouldn't want to change you anyway, he'd be too..._proud _to even ask you."

Ella smiled at me in admiration. "Wow, Murph. You've seriously grown up. I'm jealous."

I laughed humorlessly. "Yeah, well, immortality can do that to you."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Whatever." Plopping down on my bed, she let out a long sigh and closed her eyes. "So what should I tell our friends at school about you?"

"Hmmm...I don't know. Maybe you could say that I transferred to some boarding school in Spain." I shrugged carelessly.

Ella snorted. "Oh, now _that _they'll surely believe. Like you parents have the money for that, let alone money enough to buy you your own car."

"Shut up," I shot playfully.

"You know Lucas is still asking about you," Ella said with a smirk.

My eyes widened. "That jerk," I muttered to myself. Did he seriously like me _that _much, to still be asking about me? What a weirdo.

"Yup. And you know how you saw Jason kissing Mickie during their party?"

"That was a _long _time ago," I mused. In fact, that had been the night I had met Tristan. I smiled softly when I remembered how I had saved him from the demons, and then given him my own blood so that he could rejuvenate. We had ended up talking for a long time, me just sitting on his lap, having had no sense of time at all. I had fallen unknowingly in love with him then. That had been months, no, barely a _year _ago since that had happened. I couldn't believe just how much has changed since then. I had been a vulnerable, seventeen year old human then, heart-broken and afraid. Now, I was a pregnant vampire, not to mention _engaged, _and as strong as ever.

Crazy how so suddenly your life could turn into something totally unexpected and unpredictable.

"Well, they've been dating for a couple months now. Surprising, huh? Rumor has it that they might _settle down." _Ella let out a snort. "Yeah, highly unlikely."

I shrugged. "You never know, maybe Mickie finally knocked some sense into him."

"I doubt it. He's probably just using her because she's extremely pretty."

I opened my mouth to respond, but immediately clamped my mouth shut when I felt a new presence downstairs. My whole body tensed, and a low hiss escaped my throat.

"Whoa. What did I say?" Ella sat up and stared at my frozen face in concern.

"Someone's downstairs," I whispered, beginning to inch towards the door.

"It's probably just one of the guys," Ella guessed, not quite understanding why I was freaking out.

"It's not one of the guys," I hissed softly, opening the door a crack and poking my head out. The smell was oddly different. But it was something I had smelled before; I just couldn't quite place what it was. I turned around quickly, so quickly that Ella took a step back in surprise and whispered firmly, "Ella stay here, okay? And lock the door."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Yeah like that's going to help any."

Ignoring her, I slipped out into the hallway and quietly closed the door. As I made my way down the stairs, I began sending my thoughts out to Tristan, hoping that he would be close enough to hear them.

_Tristan, somebody's here at the house. I'm not sure who it is, but it's definitely not a human. If you're close, swing by fast._

I made it down the stairs quickly but silently, and as I looked up, I instantly froze in my place.

Because there, standing in front of the opened doorway, was Ronalda. Wearing a bright red dress with her long, thick black tendrils framing her pale, stunning face, she looked like the very spawn of the devil. One of her hips was thrust to the side, her hand propped on it, striking her normal pose. Black leather boots covered her perfect, marble skin all the way up to her knees, where her other hand was placed, delicately fumbling with the ruffle in her dress.

I couldn't believe my eyes. This couldn't be happening; she couldn't be here. Not _her. _Anybody but _her..._

As we caught each other's gaze, a slow, dazzling smile split across her beautiful, yet ugly features. Lifting her chin, she let out a low, heartless laugh. My whole body shuddered at the sound. And then she spoke, and my whole world turned upside down.

"Hello, _Murphy_. Did you miss me?"

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**OHMYGOD! NO SHE DIDN'T! **

***GASPCHOKEDIE***

**Yup, you've read right. Ronalda is BACK!**

**...and with a ****vengeance****. **

**Mwahaha. You know you love me. :)**

**So go review! Hehe.**

**~Mystic  
**


	10. Chapter 9: Animal

**Roses are RED**

**Violets are BLUE**

**My reader's totally** **ROCK**

**I just wish they'd dangon REVIEW...**

**Hahah, so yeah obviously that poem sucks, but I had to try something to get my reader's attention...last chapter I got seven reviews... (those people rock my world by the way – to all my loyal reviewers, don't may any attention to this note) but let's just say that it wasn't viewed by just seven people, it was viewed by waaay more than that. Which then makes me sad, because it shows me that those people probably don't care enough about my story to even take the time to review it when they just feel the need to read it...I'm not being mean, I'm just being honest. Come on people, reviews is what inspires me to write. The less reviews I have, the less I want to write. This means longer time between updates. So do me a favor and please, please, review. I will freaking love you so much. Now, onto the next chapter...things are heating up!**

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Chapter Nine

**Tristan POV**

I was too late. I had to be. Murphy had sent me that message ages ago, something _had _to have happened during that time. I had been in the middle of my hunt when she had sent me it – her thoughts had been so intense there would have been no way I couldn't have heard them. I was grateful to know that she had the power to do that, but even more worried now about what was going on. If something bad had happened to her and the baby...I swear I would never forgive myself for leaving her alone with Ella.

Finally, I approached the house, my nostrils flaring wildly as I attempted to detect a scent. My eyes shot open widely the moment I recognized who it was. It couldn't be...could it? Could it possibly be...?

"Ronalda," I growled.

_You've got to be fucking kidding me._

Curling my hands into hard iron fists prepped for serious combat, I lurched forward and charged into the house.

The first thing I saw was Murphy, crouched low in a defensive position near the staircase, her one arm wrapped around her stomach protectively, and the other reaching out towards Ronalda in an aggressive manner. I glanced quickly over at Ronalda and noticed that she was eying Murphy's stomach with rage, a pissed off expression planted flat out on her face – it took me less than a second to realize that she was going to pounce.

I wasn't about to let that happen.

"Ronalda..." I snarled. "Don't you dare touch her."

The black haired, round-eyed temptress spun around to face me, her lips curving slowly into a wicked smile. "Why, hello there Tristan...I was wondering when again I might see you." She ran her hand down her long, sultry curves, completely ignoring Murphy's presence now that I was there. "It's been far too long..." she murmured, seductively, staring deeply into my eyes.

I resisted the urge to bark out a laugh. The evil witch thought she could seduce me, even after all this time? Pathetic.

"Really? I've been thinking quite the opposite," I remarked flatly.

"Oh, you can't honestly mean that...after _all _we've been through? You couldn't possibly have forgotten all the times we've spent together...in the meadow...the gardens...?" she trailed off, faking a small pout.

I risked a glance over at my fiancé and smirked smugly at the enraged look on her face. Good. If Ronalda kept this up, there was going to be one hell of a cat fight for sure. And knowing how much Ronalda lacked in the fighting department, I was pretty confident as to who would win. Ronalda didn't battle with claws...she was a pro at battling with words, as well as with emotions. Considering regretfully how long I've known her, I knew this to be the absolute truth.

"Ronalda, what do you want?" I mustered with a sigh.

"Yes, what _do _you want, Ronalda?" Murphy snapped. "If it's my man, well sorry but for the _millionth _time you can't have him. And neither can you have this baby, _or _the crown. We're officially engaged. So unless you have some business proposition that will grant us an advantage, I'd turn tail and run like hell if I was you."

I raised an eyebrow, impressed at my fiancé's fierce outburst. She looked positively determined, which made her jealously all the more adorable. I stepped forward and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her close against my side. She glanced up at and smiled at me, her one hand reaching down to tightly take a hold of mine.

"I love you," I whispered down at her.

Her smile grew wider, and her mouth formed the word, "Ditto."

Ronalda scowled in our direction, her eyes narrowing as she witnessed our subtle love display. I didn't want to admit it, but I couldn't help feeling a slight trace of pity for her...I couldn't even imagine how she would be feeling right now. I never truly did understand her and her bizarre way of thinking. Maybe that was one out of the many reasons why I had never fallen in love with her. Not that I would ever want to, the girl was a real witch.

She confirmed this by letting out a low, ugly snarl, and leaping straight towards us. No – straight towards Murphy and the baby.

"You _bitch!" _she screamed, her long, sharp nails aiming right at my fiancé's face. Instinctively, I stepped in front of Murphy and took the blow, growling as I felt the nails scrape hard against my cheek. I heard her snarl in my ear, and then yelp loudly in pain. Confused, I glanced down at her and noticed with shock that my fiancé had her pinned to the floor, her own nails digging easily into her perfect, marble-like skin.

Ronalda screeched angrily as Murphy ran her nails down the side of her face, her eyes rolling back in excruciating pain. I stood there, my body completely frozen with shock as she gave Ronalda the treatment she had always deserved. Somehow, I couldn't look away; the situation was gruesome, yet oddly satisfying...it made me think how much I wanted to do that myself.

In the end, it was Ella who finally screamed for her to stop.

"Murphy, that's enough girl! Seriously! Quit!" She yelled it from on top of the stairs, having stood there the whole time, watching it happen.

Growling, Murphy finally tore her hands away from Ronalda, springing up and against the wall in able to regain her composure. By the time she was officially calmed and settled, she glanced apologetically over at me and muttered, "Sorry."

I laughed. "Don't be." I glanced down at Ronalda and narrowed my eyes. "She knew what was coming to her. It was her own fault for taunting you like that."

"Hate...you..." Ronalda spat out weakly.

Murphy smirked. "Hate you more."

_I don't doubt that, _I thought with a brief glance her way. She gave a small smile and shrugged, gesturing that it was the truth.

After a couple more minutes of rude, ugly banter, Ronalda got up and glanced up at Ella, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Who is she?"

"None of your business, bitch," Ella called down snidely, careful in keeping her distance from the mad female vampiress.

Ronalda snarled. "I hate you all!"

"We've established that, thank you," Murphy murmured sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Now will you please leave and spare us all the torture? I swear my baby is crying inside my uterus right now."

Ella giggled. I laughed. Ronalda glared.

"Fuck you," she growled. "Fuck you all to hell." She whipped around towards me, and my body immediately stiffened. "And you! All my life the only thing I did was be loyal to you. And this is how you repay me? How fucking could you? I _loved _you, and all you've done is throw it back in my face! Well now, you can never have it again. You've just lost the best thing you've ever had. I hope you rot in hell."

Before I could respond, she whipped around and ran out of the house, the wind from her trail slamming the door firmly shut. I blinked, utterly stunned. Had that really just happened? I glanced over at Murphy and realized that she looked the same.

Ella was the first to break the silence. "Well, that was rather dramatic."

Murphy smiled at her best friend and murmured quietly, "Thanks for telling me to stop, L. If you hadn't, I probably would've..." she stopped short and glanced down at the ground in shame.

"Aw, hun." Stepping forward, I wrapped her in my arms. "Being pissed off and then attacking because you can't control that particular emotion is absolutely normal behavior for a vampire. What you did was totally understandable. No one blames you for that."

"But...I just _attacked _her...like a...like an _animal_," she whispered, her voice breaking. My arms tightened around her, and I reached with one hand to firmly grip her chin, lifting it up so that she would look at me.

"Murphy, don't you dare think that what you did was wrong. Ronalda _deserved _it. And she's fine now, isn't she?" _As much as I hate to admit it, _I thought with an regretful sigh. "Murphy...I was _proud _of you for standing up for yourself like that...as crazy as this might sound, it made me love you even more."

Her eyes widened with disbelief. "Seriously?"

I grinned widely. "Yes, seriously. Now are you happy?"

I lowered my gaze down to her stomach as she gently began to caress it. "With you...how could I not be?" she murmured lovingly.

Ella let out a snort. "Oh, _please..._not again with the mushy stuff. _Anything _but that."

Murphy and I grinned sheepishly at each other, at the same time the door swung open and Ben and Jared came striding in.

"What did we miss?" Ben boomed.

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**Yes, this chapter is pretty short, but like I've said before...until I get more reviews, the length of the chapters won't be improving much. I just might stop all together. Reviews give me muse, they are what inspires me to write...so review people if you want to see this story continued. :) And thank you so much for those who have already been doing so! Pat yourself on the back because you are the ones who've been keeping this story alive! Seriously.**

**~Mystic  
**


	11. Chapter 10: Damn That Girl

**Bwahaha, I've finally updated! This summer has been crazy, and I just haven't had the time. But now, _finally, _I had a day where I could write! I hope you guys don't hate me for having you wait so long. I have a little surprise at the end of this chapter...hehe. Oh, and it's in Ben's POV. Thought that would make you happy. -gives cookies to everyone- Enjoy!**

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Chapter Ten

"No way, the bitch came back?" I exclaimed incredulously, staring at Tristan with the biggest look of disbelief on my face.

He nodded solemnly. "Yes, the bitch came back."

"The bitch," I muttered to myself.

"Okay, I think we cleared up the fact that Ronalda is a bitch," Ella piped up, rolling her eyes. "God Ben, you're going to be _such _a good influence on the kid," she added sarcastically.

I chuckled, flashing Ella my infamous obnoxious grin. "Precisely the reason as to why I'm going to be her favorite."

Murphy snorted, "Yeah, _right._"

"I think it's pretty obvious that _I _am going to be her favorite," Jared spoke up, leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"What's so special about you?" I shot.

He raised an eyebrow. "Hello? Isn't it obvious? My good looks." He smiled charmingly and ran a hand through his dark, blonde hair.

I gagged. "Oh God, spare me."

"What are you talking about, Ben? I think he's pretty handsome…" Ella murmured, glancing over at me with a playful smirk.

"Oh, yeah? You think _he's _handsome? Well, what about me?" I stared at her hard, trying not to seem too jealous.

"Jealous, Ben?" Tristan questioned, smirking as well.

"Shut up," I growled, clenching my fists.

"Whoa, whoa, what's happening here?" Murphy glanced towards me and Ella, raising her eyebrow. "Are you two…?"

"No!" I exclaimed, glaring at Murphy sharply. "We're not. Damn, why are you guys so quick to assume things? You all need to grow up." Angrily, I whipped around and ran outside, knocking down branches as I went. I stopped after approaching the woods, punching a random tree with my fist. It wasn't long until I heard somebody following me.

_Oh, great. _Now I was going to have to endure Jared's stupid lecture about being emotional like I had countless of other times before. Why couldn't he just back off? I couldn't help it, I was an emotional guy. Tristan and Jared both had it easy; they _never _blew up randomly in front of their friends and family. But damnit, when something was bothering me, I just had to let everyone know it…

I turned around, ready to tell Jared to fuck off, and then froze. Oh hell no.

_Ella?_

"Hey," she said softly, taking a step towards me. "We need to talk."

"What about?" I asked lamely.

"Don't act stupid," she snapped, and I blinked at her in surprise. She was so damn unpredictable…one of those things I couldn't help but love about her. "You know exactly what we need to talk about."

And she was straight forward, too. She didn't beat around the bush, which was an annoying habit I found in a lot of people. I sighed. Why did she have to be so damn perfect? I didn't need this. I didn't need _her. _

But hell, did I want her.

It happened in less than a second. One moment, she was standing in front of me, and in the next I had her in my arms, kissing her deeply and with all the passion I possessed.

She gasped and kissed me back, wrapping her slender arms around my neck and pulling me closer against her chest. I groaned softly and weaved my fingers through her long, blonde hair, loving the feel of it against my skin. The feel of her body against mine had my mind reeling, and I longed to take her right here and now. But I was too strong, and she was fragile…so fragile.

I pulled away, gazing down at her face warily. She looked up at me with a dazed expression on her face, and I smiled gently before letting her go.

"I love you," she whispered unexpectedly.

I stared at her, stunned. "You what?"

"I love you," she stated again, this time more firmly than the last. "Ben, the first time I saw you I knew I did. I don't care that you're a vampire. I'll happily let you turn me into one if it means I'll be able to be by your side. Please, Ben? I'll do anything."

"You're crazy," I said with a frown. "Do you have any idea what you're saying? I can't just turn you into a vampire."

"Why not? Tristan turned Murphy into one!" Ella questioned, confused.

"Yeah, well I'm not Tristan," I reminded her heatedly, narrowing my eyes. "I would never do that to you. You deserve to have a normal human life."

"I don't _want _a normal human life!" Ella cried out in frustration, taking a step forward and grabbing a hold of my hand. "I want _you."_

"You can't always have what you want," I snapped, snatching my hand away from her. And then I said it. "I don't need you. I'm perfectly happy on my own."

Her eyes widened, and then flashed with hurt. I looked at her coldly, waiting for her to turn and walk away.

But she didn't.

"You love me too, Ben. You're just too afraid to admit it. But you know what? You don't have to. Because I know."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I was starting to feel uneasy. She was getting too close for comfort.

"The way you kissed me just now…no guy has _ever _kissed me like that before."

"Hun, I'm a vampire, of course no _guy _has ever-"

"No, not because of that reason," she said impatiently. "I could _feel _the passion you had for me…the _love _that you have for me…I'm a girl, we can feel these things."

I raised an eyebrow.

"And plus, you were jealous when I called Jared handsome," she added smugly.

My eyes flashed dangerously. "I was _not_-"

"Shut up," Ella snapped fiercely.

I did.

"You love me," she stated once more.

I was starting to get annoyed.

"Ella," I began.

"You don't have to say it," Ella said, stepping towards me and lifting her lips to mine. "Just kiss me."

And for once, I didn't object. I let her soft, beautiful lips brush against mine, and in that moment my heart surrendered, whispering something in my mind I had somehow known all this time.

_I love her…_

Damn that girl.

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**Aww, now ain't that sweet? Review, please. =)**

**Btw I promise the next chapter will be REALLY long. Longest chapter yet. Just wait! ^^  
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	12. Chapter 11: Already Dead

**Sorry I haven't updated in so long everyone! I've been so busy with college and work and my other stories that I haven't had the time to continue working on this one. But I finally managed to write this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it. Again, so sorry for the long wait!**

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Chapter Eleven

**Murphy POV**

I was huge. Never in my life have I been this huge, and it was starting to scare me.

Big time.

This morning I woke up, looked in the mirror, and screamed at what I saw. It had been a stranger.

That stranger was me.

It's been a month, and already I was as big as a freaking elephant. And no, not a baby elephant. One of those gigantic adult elephants that without a doubt weighed about 15,400 pounds.

Okay, so maybe I didn't weigh _that _much.

But it sure as hell felt like it.

And that wasn't even the worst of it. You know how normal babies sometimes kick? Well, guess what, my baby isn't normal. Obviously, since well, its parents are both vampires.

So you can probably guess exactly what this vampire baby does without me even telling you.

Yes, you guessed right.

My baby bites.

_Hard._

I swear my whole stomach is bruised from the inside out. I am in pain almost constantly, and sometimes I just want to scream and yank my baby out of me.

But I love him. I am willing to wait until he's ready – which I hope is very, _very _soon.

Because if it's not, I just might kill myself.

And then I remember that I'm already dead.

* * *

"Elllllllllllllllllllllllllaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

"Oh no," Ella groaned from inside the living room, lifting her head from the pages of the latest _Vogue _magazine. "It's the pregnant zombie again. I wonder what it is _this _time."

"Hey," Tristan warned, glancing away from the television while sitting on his favorite lounge chair. "I told you not to call her that."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Whatever. It's your turn to check on her this time."

"She wants _you."_

"So? You're her husband; _you _should be the one taking care of her."

"And _you _are her best friend; you should care of her when she needs you!" Tristan shot.

"I _have _been for the past four weeks! Am I not allowed to take a freaking break? God!" Ella threw up her hands and scowled at Tristan from across the room, wishing for about the third millionth time that she was a vampire so she could totally kick his ass.

"Do you love her or not?" Tristan snapped, staring crossly at her with his fierce amber gaze.

"Of course! It's _me _who should be asking _you _that!"

Tristan snarled and stood up from his chair, flashing Ella a warning glare from across the room. "You know what? I find it astonishing that Murphy has ever been able to tolerate you."

As he marched out of the living room and upstairs to Murphy's bedroom, Ella snorted and muttered to herself, "Right back at you vampy."

The front door opened and then instantly slammed shut. Ella once more diverted her attention from her magazine and glanced up.

"Who's there?"

Silence…except for creaking that was headed closer and closer to the kitchen. Smirking, Ella stood up and tip-toed towards the kitchen, knowing already who it would be even before she snuck a glance inside.

It was Ben.

And he was looking around for a hiding place, which she very much doubted he could find given the fact that he was one of the biggest guys she had ever met when considering his height. Rolling her eyes, she took a step inside and leaned against the door, one hand resting on her hip.

"Why, hello Ben."

He jumped.

So high, in fact, that his head nearly touched the ceiling. Letting out a loud curse, he whipped around and fixed Ella with a guilty stare.

It was undoubtedly the cutest thing she had ever seen.

"Uh…hey Ella. I was just…uh…"

"Trying to hide?" Ella questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, but Ben, whatever for?" She bit down softly on her lip to keep from giggling. Oh, how she loved to torture.

Especially when Ben was involved.

Speechless, all Ben could do was stare. Knowing full well that she had him wrapped around her pretty little finger Ella took a step forward and flashed him a wide, brilliant smile.

"You know Ben; you should really learn how to be quieter. You're a vampire, you're supposed to be more, hmmm, how shall I put it…_sly." _

"Sly?" Ben repeated, his eyes widening just a bit.

Ella nodded and took yet another step closer, her eyes boring so intently into his that he found it very difficult to look away.

He was trapped.

"I can teach you…if you'd like?" Ella proposed, and then lifted her hand to place it gently on his chest.

Ben gulped. "Uh…sure. That would be, uh…great."

Ella grinned, her pretty hazel eyes sparkling triumphantly. "Great. Turn around."

"What?"

"You heard me. _Turn around_."

Eyeing her suspiciously, Ben turned around slowly and then crossed his arms against his chest. "Now what?"

No response.

Tilting his head, Ben said impatiently, "Ella?"

Annoyed, Ben turned around and…_wham! _

A pillow smacked him straight across the face. Ben snarled and caught the pillow in his hands, very tempted to shred the whole thing into a million pieces.

Shaking with laughter, Ella ran towards the back door. "Now try and catch me!"

"Oh, don't worry," Ben growled darkly. "I will."

Flying through the back door, he ran straight towards the female figure that was darting swiftly through the woods. With his vampire speed in full stride, it didn't take him very long to catch up. Spreading his arms wide, he circled them gently around Ella's waist and then pummeled them both softly onto the ground, leaves and sticks flying in disarray all around them.

Laughing breathlessly, Ella flung her arms around Ben's neck and glanced up into his dark, startling blue eyes. Deeply transfixed by his gaze, she finally managed to calm down before whispering softly, "You know…this isn't the first time we've ended up in this particular position."

Ben stared at her for another full minute, listening to Ella's heart beat as it grew faster still. And then, finally, his gaze softened and he lowered his lips to hers, surrendering once and for all.

_And as of right now, this won't be the last._

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**Murphy POV**

As Tristan walked into the room, I lifted my head from my pillow and blinked at him in confusion. "Where is Ella?"

Sighing, Tristan sat down on the bed beside me and placed a gentle hand on my bulging stomach. "She wanted to take a break," he murmured quietly, and then widened his eyes in surprise when he saw bloody tears starting to fall down my cheeks.

"Murphy? What is it?" Taking my hand, he kissed it softly and whispered, "What's wrong?"

"You're all t-tired of me a-aren't you?" I stuttered between sobs, ignoring the drops of blood that were already beginning to stain my clean white t-shirt. "I'm b-being such a p-pain in the ass, I know. I just w-want all of this to b-be over. I'm s-s-sorry."

"Sssh, Murphy." Wiping away my crimson tears with his thumbs, Tristan leaned forward and tenderly kissed my lips. "We're not tired of you, love. We love you too much to let you go through this alone."

"But I'm t-taking up everyone's t-time," I spluttered, staring despairingly into Tristan's eyes, perhaps for forgiveness.

But instead he shook his head and murmured to me, "We're all in this together. We're a family, Murphy. Family's take care of each other, no matter what."

Smiling through my tears, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him, positioning are baby directly between us.

"I love you," I whispered. "You, Ella, Jared, and Ben…you all mean so much to me. What would I ever do without you guys?"

Tristan chuckled and affectionately ruffled my hair. "Well, one thing is for sure, our son is going to be one well loved baby."

I narrowed my eyes and said playfully, "Son? No way, our _daughter _is going to be one well loved baby."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Babe, have you seen the size of your stomach? Either we're going to have a big, strong son, or one fat daughter."

I stifled a laugh. "Well, I guess our baby is going to end up being fat then."

"Wanna bet?" Tristan challenged.

I grinned. "Bring it on, sucker."

"If it ends up being a guy, _I _get to name it. And his middle name will be Tristan."

I nodded in agreement. "And?"

"And if it ends up being a girl, you get to name it. And her middle name will be-"

"Ella," I finished with a smirk.

"Hell no."

"Sorry hun, but it's already been decided. And plus, when you say that _we _get to name it, you do mean the _whole _name, right?"

Tristan groaned. "Fine. But why Ella?"

"She's my best friend," I explained softly, staring into his eyes and hoping that he would eventually understand. "We've known each other mostly our whole lives. She deserves to be a part of my baby's life."

"I suppose that's fair," he said with a small smile, beginning to pull me closer. "But there's one thing that I absolutely will not allow…"

"What?" I questioned, letting his arms wrap around me, around _us, _as he laid his head on my shoulder.

"She is not, _in no way, _going to be my daughter's godmother."

I smiled and, even though I knew he could very well read my mind, thought smugly,

_We'll see about that._

_

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**Review and I'll promise to update sooner. =)**


	13. Chapter 12: Forsooth! Huzzah!

**So sorry I had you guys waiting so long for an update. I promise you I am not abandoning this story. In fact, this story has yet to even begin! I have so much more in store for it. I hope I haven't lost any of my readers..._and _reviewers! You all mean so much to me. I really appreciate every single one of you who reads and reviews my story. Anyways, here is chapter twelve. Hope you enjoy! And that you review with your thoughts at the end. =)**

**Oh, and don't forget to go to my profile and vote on my poll. "What should Murphy and Tristan's baby be, a boy or a girl?" Your votes will depend on it, so go and vote!  
**

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Chapter Twelve

**Ben POV**

"I can't believe she's making me do this," I muttered, fumbling with the bright red tie that was around my neck. I probably looked like a complete idiot, which was bad because I did not have the reputation of being one. And I wasn't about to start now.

But then Ella's words came rushing back into my mind, and I let out a helpless sigh.

'_If you want us to be together, then we have to do this properly. Take me out on a date. Give me flowers. Wear a suit and tie…'_

Why the suit and tie?

'_Because that's what normal men wear on dates.' _

But I'm not normal!

'_No, you're not normal, but I am. So just do this for me, okay?'_

So I'm going to do it for her…but not for anyone else.

Just her. Only her.

_Ella._

I sighed. Damn it.

I was a goner. The first time I saw her walk through that door, I knew that I was.

I couldn't help it; she was just too damn irresistible. I bet every guy that she had ever gone out with had thought that – I mean seriously, how the fuck could they not? She was a freaking princess, with a freaking gorgeous smile, and the way that she always cocked her head and smiled at you as if she was –

_Stop, stop, stop,_ my conscious screamed.

Damn, what is going on with me? I'm losing my freaking mind.

When I became a vampire, I made a vow to myself never to fall in love with a human being – female vampires only. Unfortunately, none of my relationships with any other vampire had ever worked out. Now here I am, falling in love with a freaking human, not to mention an extraordinary gorgeous one at that. She was more beautiful than any other vampires I had ever dated. But that's not the point.

The point is, I'm breaking my vow.

I'm falling in love – or most likely, I've already fallen, for a human who will sacrifice everything, including her precious life, to be with me. Thing is, the reason why I never wanted to get involved with a human is because they're stupid. They don't realize that half the things they do is wrong, and yet even when they _do _come to terms with those realizations, they never seem to learn from their mistakes.

Turning Ella into a vampire simply because she wants to be with me forever would be one _huge _mistake.

Why, you ask?

Because no human deserves the life of a vampire – and especially no human like Ella, who's just…perfect. Just perfect.

_Too perfect, _I thought with a sigh.

Yup, I was a goner all right.

One hell of a goner…

~*~

"Dude, you're such a goner."

"Really? Thank you, O' Lord Jared, for telling me, I never would have come to that conclusion myself," I said sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

Jared flashed me a grin. "You're welcome, O' Thee Goner. I wish you well, my fere."

I sighed. "I fear, my good man, that you're wish will do naught. For you see, thee fair lady Ella hath stolen my heart."

Tristan walked into the room just in time to hear Jared say loudly, and rather dramatically, "Forsooth!"

Stopping in his tracks, Tristan stared at Jared as if he was mad. "Er…did you purchase a time machine? I don't remember us going back to the renaissance period."

Grinning, I clapped Tristan on the shoulder with my hand and exclaimed, "What ho! Tarry and sit thee down. How fare'st thou?"

Tristan shook his head. "Make that _three _brothers who've gone literally insane. Victor has already been long gone crazy…"

"Huzzah!" I shouted, pumping my fist in the air.

Jared laughed and knocked his fist against mine, hollering back, "Huzzah!"

"Could you guys just talk normal for one minute?" Tristan grumbled.

"Nay, you pantaloon," I shot.

"You rapscallion!" Jared exclaimed.

"You scullion!"

"You bottle-ale rascal!"

"You whoreson cullionly barbermonger!"

Both Jared and I stopped, looked at each other for a moment, and then burst out laughing, all the while Tristan just stood there watching and muttering to himself, "What the fuck?"

When we were finished laughing our asses off, Tristan looked at us, slightly annoyed, and asked, "Are you both done now?"

I glanced over at him, suddenly wondered what time it was, and questioned my brothers innocently, "How stands the hour?"

Checking his watch, Jared replied, "Half past six, my good man,"

Tristan groaned. "This is seriously getting annoying."

Damn, it was time for my date. Running my hand down my suit, I nodded to my brothers and said lastly, "Fare thee well; I must away!"

And with that, I turned around and fled the room, eager to pick up Ella for our date.

Who knows, I might even pick up some more Old English words on the way.

And what girl didn't love a renaissance man?

~*~

**Tristan POV**

"You guys are literally crazy," I told Jared once Ben had left, flopping down on the couch. "Do you guys plan this shit out or is it just a natural thing for you?"

Jared shrugged and picked up the remote, turning on the TV. He started flipping through the channels, doing that annoying habit where he stood right in front of the screen so you couldn't see squat.

"Hey Jared?" I questioned.

"Yeah," came his normal, monotone response.

"I'm thinking you'd make one hell of an architect."

"Why?" He answered. Once more, completely monotone.

"Because you're really good at creating doors."

Jared blinked, confused, before finally getting the point and stepping aside with a roll of his eyes. "Happy?"

"Yup," I said with a grin.

After picking a channel Jared sat down on one of the chairs next to the couch. We watched the football game in companionable silence for approximately one whole minute before a piercing scream made us both jump up. Unfortunately, since the chair was so close to the couch, we ended up in a full-body slam, the impact of our strong, vampire bodies causing a horrendous, ricocheting sound all through the house.

"Shit, what the hell was that?" Jared exclaimed, but I was already gone, running down the hall, up the stairs, and into Murphy's bathroom.

She was standing there in front of the shower, butt naked, with the most horrified expression on her face. Bewildered, I stared at her for a couple moments, and inside my mind I was wondering what the hell was wrong, until finally she spoke.

"Oh my God," she stated.

"What?" I asked her urgently.

"Oh my God."

I stepped forward, the lines showing on my forehead expressing how deeply frustrated I was in that moment. "What is it?"

"The baby," she said at last, her gorgeous sapphire eyes gleaming with shock. "I think…I think it's coming out."

I glanced down at her stomach. "Now?" I exclaimed, clearly astounded.

"No, in ten years," Murphy snapped. "Yes, _now! _I need to get to the hospital, IMMEDIATELY!"

"Um, Murphy, there might be a problem…" I started, and then hesitated.

"_What _problem?" Murphy demanded, and she gasped suddenly, her whole face contorting with the pain that ran like liquid fire down her whole body.

"Are you okay/" I asked in concern, stepping forward to touch her. I stopped, however, the moment she flashed me a sharp, deadly glare.

"What PROBLEM?' She snarled, placing her hand underneath her stomach and beginning to breathe.

In and out, in and out.

""Er, well, hunny, you're a vampire. I'm not sure the doctors will understand what's happening when they realize that you're hypothetically dead, yet are still able to conceive-"

"I DON'T CARE WHAT THE FUCK ANY DOCTORS THINK! GET ME TO A DAMN HOSPITAL BEFORE I RIP YOUR FUCKING THROAT OUT!"

"Holy shit," said a new voice from the doorway.

I spun around to see Jared standing there, ogling my fiancé with the most amazed, analytical expression on his face.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I demanded. "Call for help! _Now._"

"Oh, uh, yeah.." Finally tearing his gaze from my naked fiance, he whipped around and was gone.

I glanced back towards Murphy and saw that she was sitting down on the toilet, breathing deeply.

In and out, in and out…

"I want," she said slowly, her gaze hard and her face fearfully threatening, "To go the hospital. Now."

"Murphy love, I'm afraid that's impossible. We don't want anyone finding out-"

"Then what am I suppose to do?" she demanded. "Deliver the baby right here? Are you out of your fucking, delusional head?"

_Apparently, _I thought, beginning to get a head ache. Oh man, she was pissed. This was _not good. _Fuck, fuck, fuck. What the hell should I do? Ben and Ella were on their date, so I couldn't call them. Jared was…I didn't know where the hell Jared was. And her parents…my eyes shot open. That's it! Her parents! Her dad may not be able to do anything except stay out of the way, but her mother, Mrs. McGowen, was a nurse. And even though she wasn't an obstetrician or anything, she'd at least know the basics of what to do.

"Murphy, I'll be right back love. Don't go anywhere," I assured her softly.

"Where the fuck do you think I'm gonna go?" she snapped. "Just _do something!"_

And so I did. Running down the stairs, I picked up my phone on the kitchen counter and rang up her parent's cell. I tapped my foot against the floor impatiently as I waited – I could hear Murphy's loud, agonizing gasps all the way down here.

"Hello?" Mrs. McGowen answered pleasantly.

I wasted no time in explaining. "This is Tristan. Murphy's in labor."

A shocked gasp came from the other line, and then there was some scuffling, in which I furrowed my eyebrows and shouted impatiently through the phone after a couple long, painful moments, "Mrs. McGowen?!"

"I'm sorry, I had to tell George. We'll be there in approximately five minutes."

"Good. And Mrs. McGowen?"

"Yes, dear?"

"You _do _know about childbirth, right?"

"Of course, dear."

"Good. I'll see you in five."

Flipping the phone shut, I ran back up the stairs and into the bathroom. Murphy was hunched over her knees, gasping for air, and there was no denying the fact that her whole face looked like it was about to explode.

"Murphy, love? I'm going to move you to a bedroom, okay?"

Murphy nodded, unable at the time to muster anything coherently. Carefully scooping her up in my arms, I carried her into her room and set her down on her bed. At that same exact moment another contraction came, and she howled painfully in my ear, grabbing a hold of my hand and squeezing it with all of the vampire strength she possessed.

"Murphy, you're parents are going to be here in five minutes. Don't worry; your mom will know what to do. All you have to do is just lay here until she comes."

After a couple quick moments, Murphy glanced up at Tristan and fixed him with a frantic, wide-eyed stare. "Tristan," she whispered, her hands gripping the sheets at the side of the bed.

"Yes?" I asked her lovingly, reaching out and cupping her cheek with my hand. "What is it, love?"

"The baby's coming."

"I know that, love."

"No," she said calmly. "The baby's coming…_now._"

And then the most terrifying, excruciating wail filled the room.

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**Muahaha. Crazy cliffhanger, huh? Reviews will make me update faster!**

**Oh and by the way, if you're thinking "wha, it's only been a month and she's already delivering the baby?" Yes. it's a vampire baby, so they don't need eight to nine months to develop inside their mother's womb. In my story, it only takes four weeks. So I hope that clears up the confusion. =)**

**Now review, or "forsooth!" with you!  
**

**~Mystic  
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	14. Chapter 13: Welcome to the Family

**Hey guys! Thanks to all those reviewers who voted. I have came to my decision...and I hope you are happy with the results. Happy reading!**

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Chapter Thirteen

**Tristan POV**

My ears rung from Murphy's piercing scream that echoed from within the two-story house. I squeezed her hand partly out of comfort and partly out of fear. What if it went wrong? What if the baby died shortly after delivery? What if-

_Snap out of it! _I scolded myself, gazing down at Murphy's pain-stricken face. I didn't have time to worry about such things; I had to remain strong – for Murphy _and _for the baby.

"I'm here, love," I murmured, bending down and lovingly caressing the side of her face. I stared deeply into her eyes as she let out a loud, breathless groan. "Everything is going to be all right."

Or will it?

_You're doing it again, _I told myself with a barely audible sigh. _Come on Mrs. McGowen…where are you?_

After another long, painful contraction, Murphy managed to utter a coherent sentence. One that made my heart soar with hope and impeccable warmth.

"Tristan…"

And with a sudden gasp, she began to push. I stared in awe, my hand still clasped around hers, as she began to give birth. Never would I have imagined that it would be so beautiful, so…_amazing. _

And it was so damn quick. One thing was for sure, this baby was definitely eager to get the hell out. I grinned. _That's my boy…_

One moment I was holding Murphy's hand, and in the next I was staring at my new born child screaming its little lungs out. There was no blood – obviously, since vampires were dead, so I could see its face and body clearly. It was so fragile, so small, so…

Female?

Surprisingly, I felt no disappointment. I picked the little bundle up and gazed down at her beautiful face, amazed by what I saw. She was perfect. With Murphy's long, curly black hair and my light crystal eyes, she had the indisputable face of an angel.

"Where is she?" Murphy murmured, moving her head towards me – towards _us. _"I need to see her..."

Before I had the chance to hand her over, Murphy's eyes grew wide and she doubled over, gasping wildly.

"Murphy? Murphy what's wrong? What-"

The bedroom door slammed open and her parents came rushing through. Their eyes lit up at the sight of our baby girl in my arms, but then flickered with confusion at the sight of Murphy as she began to scream, once more, at the top of her lungs.

"Is she okay?" I demanded. "What's happening?"

Mrs. McGowen hurried to the other side of the bed and placed her hand on her daughter's abdomen. After a moment, her mouth dropped and she stared at me in shock.

"What? Damnit, what the _hell _is going-"

"Twins," she stated, and she let out a soft laugh of joy. "She's having twins!"

As I stood there in absolute astonishment with my baby girl still crying in my arms, Jared, Ben, and Ella charged into the room, their eyes immediately glancing towards Murphy.

"What are you guys doing here?" I asked them in confusion.

"Jared told us Murphy was having the baby and we came as fast as we could!" Ella exclaimed, and her eyes widened when she saw that I was holding the baby.

"Holy shit," Jared muttered.

"Woah," Ben deadpanned.

I cracked a small smile and said, "Don't you mean ba_bies?"_

"No way!" Ben and Jared shouted simultaneously.

Ella squealed happily and clapped her hands. Skipping over towards Mrs. McGowen's side, she grabbed her other hand and murmured, "Come on Murphy, you can do it!"

"All of you shut _up,_" Murphy snapped, leaning over and yowling as another contraction hit. And then another came – closer this time. Murphy's face crumpled with pain.

"Murphy, it's time," her mother replied urgently.

"Push, baby, push," her father added, lightly placing his hand on her head. "It'll all be over in no time."

Murphy let out another scream, and then obliged to her father's wishes. Closing her eyes, she pushed. And pushed. And pushed. Until…

"It's out!" Mrs. McGowen cried, scooping up the baby in her arms and staring down at it in awe. "He's beautiful," she whispered.

My eyes shot up in alarm. "_He?_" I repeated, a grin splitting across my face.

Mrs. McGowen nodded and smiled warmly, "Yes, you are now a father to a both a baby boy and a baby girll. Congratulations!"

"Dude," Ben said, glancing over at me. "That's seriously wicked."

"Yeah," I agreed absently, staring at my son who looked almost exactly like me, with the most beautiful forest green eyes – Murphy's eyes. "Totally wicked."

"Let me…see," Murphy murmured weakly, leaning her head against the pillow and letting out a long, exhausted sigh.

"Of course sweetie," Mrs. McGowen said softly, placing the baby boy in the crook of her left arm. Blinking, I stepped forward and carefully placed our baby girl in her right.

I watched, mesmerized, as she stared down at them both, blood-stained tears staining her cheeks. "They're so beautiful…oh Tristan, they're amazing. So amazing…"

Ella smiled and murmured curiously, "So what are you going to name them?"

"Ella," Murphy whispered automatically.

"Yes?" Ella questioned.

"No, _Ella,_" Murphy said with a light-hearted laugh. "Ella Estelle. But she'll go by Stella."

"Beautiful," Ben murmured, staring at Ella from the other side of the room. "I can't think of a better name."

Speechless, Ella stared down at the baby girl named after her, and then sniffled softly. "Murphy, you're the best."

"Of course I am," Murphy said with a grin. "And so is Stella's new godmother."

I opened my mouth to object, and then stopped with a sigh as Ella squealed and bent down to hug her best friend. Oh, what the hell. Why not? Ella will have _some _good influence on Stella…such as showing her how to be strong and confident. Ella seemed to have _that _down pat, even though she was highly obnoxious and annoying as hell. But she was a good friend to Murphy…and since she loved her, than I was positive that she'd love our children just as much.

"What about the boy?" Jared asked, glancing over towards me.

I blinked, having forgotten that _I _was suppose to name the boy. I glanced down at him and gazed at him for a couple moments, before murmuring, "Nathaniel." It was strong, masculine…and a perfect name for the heir of the thrown.

"Nathaniel Tristan," Murphy murmured, glancing up at me. Our eyes met, and she smiled. "Perfect."

"No," I murmured back, leaning forward and softly kissing her lips. "_You're _perfect."

Slowly parting from her, I glanced down at our children and proceeded to kiss their foreheads, one by one.

"Nathaniel and Estelle," I whispered, and I smiled when they let out their little twin-like cries in response. "Welcome to the family."

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**So, obviously, the voting came to a tie. **

**And I decided, well, why not just have twins?**

**Both a girl _and _a boy! Hehe. Pretty clever, huh?**

**What do you think of the names?  
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**Reviews = love!  
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	15. Another Author's Note: Important

**So I'm putting this story on hold for awhile. It really does look like I'm losing some readers, because the number of reads I'm getting for each chapter is getting less and less. Plus, I've already begun a new vampire story, and I think I want to focus more on that one for a little bit. If I get some muse for this story sometime, I will promise to update with a chapter, but until then, you should check out my new story, 'Love Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me.' Thanks everyone for all of your reviews so far, it really means a lot!**

**Till next time,**

**xoxo**

**Mystic**


	16. Chapter 14: Love Is About Compromise

**FAKE OUT! I GOT ALL OF YOU! *evil laughter* Yeah, you know that last authors note? TOTALLY fake. Except for, you know, the part about my new story. That wasn't. But the rest about me putting the story on hold? Yeah, that was me pulling one on ALL of you! I would never abandon my most important story for a new one I just started. I loved how you guys reviewed though and told me how you would wait and give my other story a chance. I really don't deserve you guys, you are all so amazing. Thank you everyone for reading my story and for those who review it, you make my day. Anyways, this next chapter is all about *drum roll* ELLA AND BEN! Don't you just love me now? Yup yup, don't lie, I know you do. All right, enough of me laughing my butt off for faking all of you guys out. Now it's time for you to read my most epic chapter. What are you still reading this for? start reading it! **

**....NOW!**

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**Ben POV**

I stood outside the hallway to Murphy's bedroom, letting the events of the last couple of hours sink in.

I was an uncle. I, Benjamin Douglas, was an _uncle. _You think, since I was about four hundred years old, that it'd be about damn time, but I still felt like it was happening too fast. I felt like I was in some time machine, just whipping through the years and watching all of it unfold right before my very own eyes. It was freaking incredible, not to mention scary as hell. Never in all of my four-hundred-some years have I ever imagined having a niece and nephew…but now I did, and there was no going back.

My oldest brother was a father, and the future king of the Ceteri kingdom. He was also engaged to a feisty, wickedly gorgeous woman, or shall we say _vampiress, _who is all too willing to help him rule the kingdom as his queen once they married. I had never thought about it much until now, but my brother was one hell of a lucky bastard. He had _everything _going for him, and if that wasn't already enough, he had two strong, loyal brothers who would fight by his side till the death.

I envied my brother now more than anything. Squinting my eyes shut, I turned around and faced the wall, leaning my head gently against it. I breathed slowly through my nose, out of habit rather than sustenance, and wondered what I was doing. Not now, currently, but with my _life. _All I have ever done was bend to my father's rules, never have I actually made or followed any of my own. I've always looked up to my older brothers and asked them for all the answers, but whenever it came down to me, just _me, _it's almost as if I've felt...lost. Off the broken path. And now it's like I've arrived at a dead end, and I have no idea which direction to turn…

And then, just like that, one word rang loud and clear as I stood there, head against the wall, pondering my fate.

_Ella._

_No, _my mind screamed, but my heart held a different response. Ella, oh sweet Ella. Had she truly been the answer all along? Had she really been what I was looking for all this time? _Yes, _my heart screamed. _Yes, yes, yes!_

My face contorted with a mixture of complicated emotions – pain, helplessness, hope. My mind and my heart were in a wrestling match, competing for the win. And here I was just standing around like an idiot, wondering what the hell is going to happen.

_Take control, _a voice inside me demanded. _It's now or never. Don't you want to be happy?_

_I'd rather Ella have a normal life than be happy. She deserves that more than anything in the world, _I thought solemnly.

_And how do you know she doesn't deserve you? _The voice counter-attacked.

I blinked, staring at the wall with the most dumbfounded expression on my face.

_She loves you, _the voice continued to tell me, and a violent shudder ran down my body. _As do you. Love is about compromise…she will give her life in order to be with you…if you were in her situation, wouldn't you be willing to do the same?_

_Yes, _I thought, clenching my fists together and opening my eyes with the sudden realization. _Yes, I would. I would do anything for her._

_Then let her do her part, _I heard the voice say. _By loving her, you are doing yours. _

Why the hell haven't I thought of all this before? It all made sense to me now. And Ella…my eyes shot open. _Ella. _I had to tell her. I had to tell her…that I loved her, and that I agree in letting her do her part. _If she's still willing…_Immediately pushing that thought aside, I turned around and stepped forward, about to turn the door knob. But before I could it swung open and my hand was left to hang in mid-air, just reaching…

Ella stood there, in all her magnificent beauty, staring at me with a quizzical expression on her face. I stared back, mesmerized. _So stunning, _I thought. _So freaking gorgeous…_

"Um, Ben?" Ella questioned, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow. "May I ask what the _hell _your doing?"

I flashed her a quick, comical grin. "Staring at you."

She crossed her arms, smirking. "I see that."

"So," I said, slowly, thinking about what I was going to say next. "Since our date was sort of interrupted due to Murphy giving birth to twin vampire babies and all, I was wondering…would you do me the honors of agreeing to a rain check?"

"A rain check?" Ella repeated, gazing at me curiously. "Will there be any rain involved in this so called rain check?"

"No…" I answered, sounding confused. "But if you would like for there to be rain, then I could arrange that."

"Oh? You would do that for me?" Ella asked skeptically, a bit of ice in her tone.

_Ouch, _I thought. _I deserved that. _

Not breaking her gaze, I stepped forward and took both of her hands, listening as her breath quickened and her beautiful sapphire eyes grew slightly wider.

"I'd do anything for you," I murmured, staring at her intently.

"Really? So you're allowed to do _anything _for me, but I'm not allowed to do anything for you?" she snapped, her voice rising just a bit. "That's not fair Ben, and you know it."

I glanced over her head and saw Murphy, Tristan, Jared, and the rest of her family all staring at us. _Terrific, _I thought, glancing back down at Ella.

"Let's go somewhere more…private," I told her, letting go of her one hand and pulling her through the door, down the hallway, and into the guest room with the other. She opened her mouth to protest but as soon as one of the words came out we were already alone, and the door to the bedroom was closed.

She flashed me an annoyed glance, and I grinned. "Sit," I demanded, pointing to the bed. "And if you try to interrupt I'll tie your mouth with scotch tape."

She glowered at me. "You wouldn't."

I raised an eyebrow and leaned forward, intending to look intimidating. "Try me."

"If you're trying to look intimidating, it's not working," Ella stated, giving me a smirk.

"Sit," I repeated, more forcefully this time. "Or there _will _be scotch tape involved."

"Oh my, scotch tape! How horrifying," Ella exclaimed, and before I had the chance to carry out this threat, she plopped herself down on the bed. She glanced up at me in defiance. "What do you have to say Ben? Just tell me before I lose my patience."

I sighed. Why did I have to fall in love with someone so demanding? Oh yeah, because I was too. No wonder we fell in love – we had so much in common. Goes to show how much the theory "opposites attract" is a load of crap.

"I'm waiting," Ella went on to say with a sigh.

"I'm thinking!" I explained, "Isn't everyone saying nowadays that it's good to think before you speak?"

She shot me a look.

"Fine, fine," I grumbled. "Jeez, you're so-"

"BEN!"

"I love you!" I shouted at last, reaching up and placing both of my hands on the side of my head. I tugged at my hair, letting out a growl. "I'm freaking head-over-heels in love with you! I was afraid to admit it then, but now…now I know for certain that you're the one I want. _You _Ella. Only you. And I'd be damned if you don't believe that."

Ella stared at me, speechless, as I continued, unaware that I was a long way from actually being finished. I had a lot to say and well, now just happened to be the perfect time.

"Truth is, I want you to lead a human life, Ella. I want you to grow up, become successful at whatever you do, and have a bunch of kids with some guy who's a fool for you like I am, and be happy until the day that it's time for you to die. But the thing is Ella…the thing is, is that I'm selfish. I'd rather kill you than let you live your life. I need that more than _anything. _And you, well…you're honestly s_tupid _for wanting me to do that. How can you allow me to do that, Ella? How?"

Ella opened her mouth to speak, but I glared at her and she shut it at once. Taking a step closer, I bent down on my knees and took her hands in mine, staring up at her with the most agonizing, loving expression on my face. She didn't utter a sound as we gazed at each other, and finally after a long, silent moment, I began to speak again.

"Because of my selfishness Ella, and because of your stupidity, I'm going to make the right choice _for the both of us. _I'd rather share my life with you than live an eternity without you, and if killing you is what it takes, then so be it. You're my world, Ella, and don't you forget it. Don't you e_ver _forget it, do you understand? Tell me you understand," I pleaded.

With tears rapidly rolling down her cheeks, Ella nodded and with a loud sob, threw her arms around me. "Oh, Ben," she sobbed, squeezing me frantically – as if she couldn't get me close enough. "I love you. I love you _so damn much. _Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

I smiled triumphantly and gathered her up in my arms. "For what, sending your soul into damnation? Oh yeah, that's something to really be grateful about," I said sarcastically.

Ella snorted and punched her first into my shoulder. "Shut up, you know what I meant. Now when are you going to do it?"

I blinked and pulled back to stare at her. "Do what?"

She rolled her eyes. "I swear Ben; you have the shortest attention span. When are you going to turn me into a vampire, you big idiot?"

"Oh, that," I said with a frown. "In thirty years."

Ella punched me again, harder this time. She might as well have been poking me with a feather.

"I'm serious," she told me. "When?"

I sighed and stood up, taking her with me. "Whenever your heart desires," I murmured, leaning forward and brushing my lips passionately against hers. She smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around me, and then without absolutely no warning, she bit down on my bottom lip.

_Hard._

I sucked in a deep breath, suddenly feeling faint on my feet. "Damn you," I cursed, lifting my head up to see her smirking at me. "You always know exactly what to do, don't you?"

She grinned arrogantly. "You betcha. And as for _whenever my heart desires…_I pick now."

I laughed. "Okay, sure, we'll get right on that."

She looked up at me seriously. "Now, Ben."

I gaped at her. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Do I look like I'm joking?" She crossed her tan, slender arms across her chest and stuck her chin up.

I let out a groan. "Ella, this really isn't the best time…"

"And when, exactly, is?" Ella demanded. "Now is the perfect time Ben and you know it. Now do it before I change my mind."

Sighing, I gazed down at her wearily. "If I wasn't already dead, you would have killed me by now."

"Don't be so melodramatic."

"Says the Queen of Drama," I said with a smirk.

She raised both eyebrows at me. I mimicked her.

"You're such a pain in the ass," she complained.

I chuckled softly and kissed both of her cheeks. "But you love me for it."

"Mhmm," she said with a sigh. "Will it hurt?"

"Will what hurt?" I questioned.

She gazed pointedly at me.

"Oh…right. Well, I can't really remember but…seeing as I will be penetrating your soft, lovely skin with my white pointy fangs, then I have a pretty good idea that it probably will, _however, _it'll be over before you know it," I explained to her reassuringly.

She rolled her eyes. "Way to explain the process."

I stared softly into her eyes, and then blinked at her in concern. "Are you sure that you're ready for this?"

"Of course I am," she told me without any hesitation. "I'm ready to start a new life with you. The pain I'll feel is going to be nothing compared to the love that I'll feel for you afterward."

"Spoken like a true princess," I murmured, and my hold on her tightened…strengthened. She seemed to realize this, because suddenly her heart was beating over-time, and she was holding her breath.

"Now," she whispered, staring at me intently, and with all the love in the world. "The sooner you do it, the sooner we'll be holding each other vampire to vampire…we'll make the world jealous, you and me. Just wait."

As I bent down and lowered my mouth to the nape of her neck, several thoughts raced through my mind in that one moment.

_Love is about compromise…_

_Let her do her part…in loving her, you are doing yours._

_I love you Ben…thank you…_

_We'll make the world jealous, you and me. Just wait._

Closing my eyes, I sucked in a deep breath, and below me I felt Ella do the same.

"Ella," I whispered against her skin, and with that last word spoken, I parted my lips and sunk my fangs into her neck.

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**NOW do you love me? I hope this chapter has made many of my readers happy. Because you know what, ALL of those who give my story a chance deserve to be. Oh and by the way, it's true about how the "opposites attract" theory doesn't exist. I'm majoring in psychology and I learned that there is no way for opposites to truly attract, because you can't possibly love someone that you have barely anything in common with. I mean, what the heck would you even talk about? Lol.**** Now be a dear, please, and leave me a review. If not, well then, thanks for reading anyway. And keep a look out for the next chapter. =)**

**Yours truly,**

**Mystic  
**


	17. Chapter 15: Insanity and Pride

**Woohoo, another chapter! Bet you didn't see this one coming, huh? Sorry I haven't updated in so long - been so busy with school. Let me tell you something, college is HARD. WORK. But now it's winter break, I can finally breathe again AKA work again on my stories that I have abandoned. So with that said, here is chapter fifteen to this wonderful little story...oh and by the way, since it's been a while, you might want to go back and re-read some of the chapters. I admit I had to, haha. **

**Oh, and please, pretty please, leave a nice little review at the end once you've done reading. I'd like to think there are some readers out there that still exist...thank you. :)**

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Chapter Fifteen

**Murphy POV**

"What the hell do you mean, Ben just bit Ella?" I demanded, shock crossing my face in a matter of seconds after hearing Tristan's troubled remark. I could hardly believe my ears, let alone comprehend what was happening. The two babies snuggled in my arms looked up at me and blinked, then closed their eyes and resumed sleeping.

"Apparently, Ella is now a vampire," Tristan said with a grimace, his expression one of irritation and disbelief. "I can't believe Ben had to go and fall in love with a silly human…"

"Excuse me?" I raised an eyebrow, staring at my husband in amusement. "_You _were the one who started this whole cycle…if it wasn't for you and me having to save your butt, we never would have met and so wouldn't have Ben and Ella."

"Cycle?" Tristan repeated, becoming amused as well. "This is most certainly _not _a cycle, and I _refuse t_o let it become one."

"Oh, trust me, the cycle has just begun," I replied, smirking. "Just wait, soon Jared is going to fall in love with some girl on the street, and we all know how _that _will turn out. Poor girl won't even have a choice."

"No," Tristan said flatly. "_No one _else is going to be falling in love with a human; we've had enough drama as it is. As soon as you are well enough, we will be return to the kingdom. The sooner we get back home the better it will be for all of us."

"You're right," I said with a nod, but I couldn't help feeling a sense of uneasiness at the thought of leaving home. How would my parents react? I wouldn't be able to bear seeing their faces after telling them that they will be losing their one and only daughter…forever.

_At least I'll have Ella now. _My best friend now possessed the same fate as mine – immortality.

_Such a copy cat, _I thought to myself, but I couldn't help but grin.

"Tristan?"

"Yes?"

"Get Ben, please. I have a few words I need to say to him."

When Tristan left the room, I glanced down at my sleeping babies and sighed softly in contentment. _So beautiful…_I thought, wondering how I had ever gotten so lucky. It was amazing to me how I could love them so much in just a short amount of time…but it was true. I did. And it was all due to the one fact that they were _mine._

"Sup, Murph?"

I glanced up to see Ben standing at the foot of my bed, looking a bit dazed. Trying very hard not to laugh at his comical, blatant expression, I pursed my lips and did my best to look stern.

"Ben, I can't _believe _that you would do something like this! How could you?"

"Murphy, please don't hate me. I didn't want to do it, I swear, but Ella was persistent. She insisted that I do, if not for me then for her. I didn't want to let her down. I…I love her, Murph. I really do. Can't you understand that? I mean, you went through the same thing with Tristan, I would think after-"

"Ben," I interrupted him with a huge, beaming smile. "I don't hate you."

Ben blinked at me, confused. "Huh?'

"I was just pulling your leg. I wanted to _thank _you…you have done so much for me. Now Ella and I will be able to be best friends forever…_literally. _You have no idea how happy that makes me. And I could never hate you, Ben. You're too damn irresistible."

"Oh. Well. Okay then…in that case." Ben leaped up, spun in the air, and then flew to my side, giving me a big fat kiss on my cheek before swooping down and landing a gentle one on top of Nathaniel and Stella's heads, careful not to wake them. "Glad I could be of service," he said jokingly.

I rolled my eyes and said, "Me too. Now go away, mama needs her rest."

Before Ben had left the room, I lifted my head and called, "Oh, and Ben?"

He turned around and lifted an eyebrow. "Yeah?" he questioned.

"If you hurt Ella, I'll kick your butt."

Ben grinned in his normal, lop-sided manner. "I wouldn't dream of hurting her. I think it's Ella you'll have to worry about hurting _me. _That woman is insane…not to mention slightly scary at times."

I bit down hard on my bottom lip to keep from laughing. "True," I said after regaining control of my normal composure.

"Later, Murph."

Ben left the room, and Tristan walked in soon after.

"How are my three babies?" Tristan asked with a smile, leaning down to give me a kiss.

I kissed him back, slowly and passionately, before murmuring softly, "Tired."

Tristan brushed a pale hand across my cheek. "I'll let you get some sleep. Want me to take the twins off your hands?"

My grip on them tightened slightly. "No, you'll disturb them."

Tristan chuckled and replied, "Whatever you say, my Queen."

"Shut it," I muttered.

Turning my head, I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

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A piercing scream jerked me awake, almost causing me to drop the twins. A moment later they began to echo the scream with their very own, the shrill cries nearly bursting my eardrums.

I cursed.

"Tristan!" I shouted above all the noise, beyond peeved. "What the _hell_-"

Tristan was by my side in an instant. "It's Ella," he exclaimed shortly, as if that explained it all. "She's just…a bit excited at the moment."

"Really?" I said sarcastically, "I haven't noticed. Here," standing up I placed the twins in his arms and fixed him with a long, hard stare. "Don't let Ella anywhere near them until I get her under control."

"Done."

I left him alone with the twins and went searching for Ella. Thankfully, I didn't have to search for long. As soon as I walked into the guest room I saw her. Well, more accurately, I saw the _blur _that was her.

Ben was standing in the middle of the room, looking positively ecstatic while Ella spun around him in circles, laughing so loud I was sure the neighbors could hear and think there was some crazy lunatic running loose in the area. Narrowing my eyes, I put on my stern face and stepped in.

"Ella, stop it _right now. _You're acting like a seven year old kid who's had too much chocolate…seriously, you're scaring Tristan."

"I've always scared Tristan!" Ella remarked, continuing to spin.

"That's not the point. You need to _calm down._"

"I don't want to calm down! I'm a v_ampire _now_! _I can't believe how awesome this feels. I feel like I'm on top of the world! Look!"

Ella stopped moving for just a half a second before leaping up into the air and hitting the wall with her feet. Giggling, she raced to the other side of the room and did the same, going up and down, up and down, up and down…a constant blur of energy.

"Do you get it? I'm literally _bouncing off the walls_!"

Ben glanced over at me with a grin. "Well this is entertaining, don't you think?"

"At the moment, the only thing I'm thinking about is Ella's sanity. Come on Ben, do something! She's going to hurt herself."

"What do you expect me to do about it, tie her to a chair? She'd be out of that in a second," he said with a snort.

"You're a big, strong vampire. You figure it out," I snapped.

"Fine," Ben grumbled, stepping forward. "Jeez, so feisty."

"I just gave birth to twin vampire babies less than twenty four hours ago. I have a right to be feisty, damn it."

Ben laughed, "Whatever you say, Murph."

Pinning his gaze on his newborn mate, Ben surged forward and managed to grab her around the waist. She let out a squeal of surprise and flashed Ben an annoyed glance from over her shoulder.

"Let me _go _Ben, I want to see what all I can do!"

"You can experiment with your new vampire abilities later, babe. Right now you need to rest. You don't want to over-do it."

"But-"

Before she had the chance to protest, Ben silenced her with a long, tantalizing kiss. She softened in his embrace, then turned around and pressed herself against him, kissing him back hard and passionately.

"Has she finally calmed down now?"

I nearly leapt out of my skin at the sound of Jared's voice from right behind me.

"Dang it, Jared!" Spinning around, I fixed him with a glare. "You scared me shitless."

"S'not my fault you were completely unaware of your surroundings," Jared said with a shrug. He nodded towards the couple who were now currently involved in a serious make-out session. "What's goin' on?"

"They're in the process of making babies," I said flatly, shaking my head with a sigh. "Come on, let's give them some privacy."

When Jared continued to stare, I rolled my eyes and grabbed his arm, yanking him to the door.

"Pervert," I muttered, closing the door behind us.

"You know you like it," Jared said with a sly grin.

"Like hell," I exclaimed, narrowing my fierce eyes at him. "And might I ask, why are you still here? You could have gone back to the kingdom ages ago."

"I don't know," Jared drawled. "Maybe I just like to annoy you."

"Well you're doing a mighty fine job," I told him, crossing my arms. "But seriously. Why?"

"None of your damn business."

"Don't make me hurt you."

Jared chuckled. "I'd like to see you try."

A gasp escaped his throat at the same exact moment I reached out and pierced my long, manicured fingernails deep into the skin of his right arm.

"Remember this, buddy?" I questioned, smirking. "Now I'd like to see _you _ask me that again."

I released my fingernails from his arm, brushed my hands together, and then strolled back to my room, feeling extremely pleased. _Oh Jared, how you underestimate me…_

Tristan glanced up as I walked into the room and gave me a warm smile. "Sssh, they're sleeping," he whispered, pointing at the two bundles wrapped snugly in their pink and blue blankets. Both of them were sleeping soundly in their cribs at the side of the room, close by my bed. I walked over and glanced down, watching them as they slept.

I lifted my head and met Tristan's eyes with my own, love like I have never known passing between us in one, swift moment.

And right then, I knew…

This was a special love. A unique love. The kind of love that only belonged to a parent…the parent that I have now become, and will forever be.

My heart burst with pride.


	18. READ THIS! IMPORTANT NOTE INSIDE

…**THE END…**

**Hey guys! So, after reading through the whole story, I realized that the last chapter I wrote seems like the perfect ending. There really is no reason to keep on writing and dragging it out…BUT! If I get enough reviews for this authors note encouraging a trilogy, I WILL make a new story as a response to this one. The trilogy would be nineteen years later and tell the story about Murphy and Tristan's kids, Nathaniel and Stella. (And for those who love Ben and Ella, I'll make sure to include their children in the trilogy too) Some of the old characters will be in it as well, obviously, but it'll mostly be about Nate and Stella, the Prince and Princess of the Ceteri Kingdom. So, with that said, if you'd like to see a trilogy in the near future, I'd suggest you review and tell me so! Thanks. **


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